From: jogle@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Jim Ogle (Ks. Jim))
Subject: Re: 4th episode Space Rangers (*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 93 07:18:51 GMT

In article <mumble> kinsman@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Aphoriel/Kinsman) writes:

>When you see this show, you'll probably come to the conclusion that this was
>meant to be the first episode, rather than the episode with Ringer the android

The few commercials I saw before the premire of Space Rangers featured
scenes from this episode so its a good bet this was supposed to be the
premire episode.  By going for a simpler episode (doesn't spend so
much time setting up everything) as the premire CBS goofed - I thought
this one set things up pretty well (ok, it was setting up cliched
characters and situations, but it did a decent job of it.)

>Boon's wife and kids are on the station still; I guess they left when the

Didn't last week's episode say Boon has two kids though?  Or am I just
remembering things wrong....

>series began in earnest.  Strange, though, that they mentioned "banshees" 
>and then introduced them as though it was their first appearance: this makes
>two episodes, since it seemed they treated banshees in the second episode,
>too, as if the audience had never seen them before.

If this was supposed to be the premire it would make sense for them to
explain banshees.  In the second episode they didn't explain quite as
much as they did in this one so it was probably meant as a 'refresher
course'.

>List of Stupidities Follows (*SPOILER WARNING*)
 

>"Decker, the Model Space Ranger":  In the opening scene, we see Decker and co.
>machete-ing around on a jungle planet, obviously in dire straits.  In this
>scene, we get to see the super-competent ex-ranger who taught Boon everything
>he knew slap at somebody's water canteen, spilling precious water: pull some
>-one away from a guy being dragged down by creeper vines, saying "He's a goner!"when the obvious thing to do escapes him (blow it away! They had guns handy,
>and it's what the *real* Space Rangers did when they met up with one.), and
>basically act like an uncharismatic lout.... Yep, this explains why Boon is
>such an incompetent fool, doesn't it?

Hey, he went to prison, obviously cracked under the strain and "he
isn't the man he used to be."

>"Vaporous Subplot, Part 1": From the hand-touching scene, obviously Decker and
>the girl who got ejected loved each other... very touching, but did you notice
>this point was never brought up again in the whole show?

Well, it kind of explains why she'd stow away on the rescue ship.

>"Who forgot to refuel the Eject Pod?":  Notice that as the pod took off, it
>curved *downward* slightly?  There's no way that pod would be leaving the 
>planet at *that* trajectory, unless perhaps it bounced a few times to gain
>momentum :).  Gee, maybe that's why she looked so beat up when the pod landed.

Maybe it went into a low orbit for a slingshot effect away from the
planet?

>"Less fuel, more speed!":  Aagh! Did you hear Boon mention that as they were
>about to take off?  That makes *no sense* in space, since a ship is weightless
>*More* fuel gives more speed, since you can afford longer bursts to accelerate
>to a higher velocity.. and who cares if more fuel adds mass, the extra mass
>is likely negligible in ratio to the thrust it produces (this being the 
>important chemical property of fuel..), and you'll be burning it off anyway,
>so you'd lose mass, right?  Anyhow, in an actual space mission, Boon couldn't
>ask for something like that; what he'd get is *exactly* as much fuel as he
>needed, with a bit more for emergencies...

My impression is that the bonehead script writer assumed two things:
	- they'd need a light load to take on all the extra passengers
	- fuel doesn't go away when you use it
therefore, don't take as much fuel!  (Sheesh.)

>"LF, MS: Lightspeed Donut collary":  And if you're going to be going through
>a lightspeed donut anyway, why even bother with this business about fuel?

Maybe the donut just provides the initial speed burst and the ships
have to burn fuel to accelerate up to lightspeed?

>"Classic SR Donut Question":  Why isn't everybody plastered at the rear of
>the ship's interior when the ship goes lightspeed, why does simple forward

Intertial dampers (tm) borrowed from Star Trek. 8-)

>gravitational pressure make you puke, and why does experience in these ships
>make is so that you are completely unconcerned with puking?

Chalk it up to nerves...this is the kids first real mission, he's got to
prove to everyone he's got what it takes, it might be his first high-
speed launch; he was rattled and having an elephant sit on him
couldn't have helped things much.  Everyone else is just used to the
launch procedure so it doesn't bother them as much.

>"Classic SR Donut Question II":  I doubt there's another donut orbiting Skaraab.Someone posted earlier that that would just mean a longer trip back, but think..They went *lightspeed*.  This means they have to go about 30 light-hours 
>distance.  On chemical thrust.  Uh oh.  Didn't Boon ask for half fuel? :(

Since they reattained lightspeed en route to the planet (and rather
quickly too) they probably don't use chemical thrust to reach
lightspeed.  

But then this brings up the question of why use the donut at all if
the ship can go to lightspeed on its own....

>"Classic SR Ship Question":  Why does that ship rattle so much?  Technology
>must have gotten pretty shoddy over the years in the space travel field if
>a spaceship can't give a smooth ride going in a *perfectly straight line*...

Heck, I've been in cars that shake that much due to timing problems so
if their ship is as much of a rustbucket as they make it out to be I'm
sure there's some similar kind of problem in spaceships.

>"Don't all move to the side at once, guys...":
>A 110 pound stowaway causes a mass distribution problem and the ship must
>drop out of lightspeed.  Damn!  Lightspeed travel sure is tricky.  That rookie
>was right: it would have been dangerous not to take a full crew complement :).
>I wonder:  if Doc moved to the right side of the ship and started jumping up
>and down, would the Slingship veer to the right and end up at Altair 
>or something?

The question is why something like a mass distribution problem
wouldn't be noticed during a preflight check, or even during takeoff.

As for dropping out of lightspeed, maybe it isn't safe to move about
certain areas of the ship while travelling at lightspeed.

>"Vaporous Subplot, Part 2.":  Anybody know why the girl stowed away?  
>Anybody know what happened to her at the end?  Anybody know why she only got
>three lines in the whole episode?  Anybody know what was the *point* of this
>character?

Well, she probably stowed away because she wanted to help rescue
Decker.  The scriptwriters also needed a reason for the ship to drop
out of lightspeed for the banshee attack and she was a convenient plot
device.  8-)

I thought it was interesting (concerning the banshees, not the girl)
that when Boon radioed back to the boss (gotta love that instantaneous
radio communications system!) she asked if the banshees attacked while
they were at lightspeed - banshees are fast bastiches!

And then there was Jojo's comment when the banshee was attacking the
front of the ship - she said something that sounded like 'its got a
hand inside'; if the banshee put its hand through the hull with no
serious side effects we're looking at some pretty stupid scriptwriters
here....

>"ALERT! 'Uh, get out the reference book, guys...'":
>When the banshees attack, the navigation screens turn into a full-screen ALERT
>message.   Ok, if something like that happens, we can surmise that this ALERT
>is THE ALERT: the alarm system, THE Everybody-listen-up-outstanding-circum-
>stance-ALERT.  What shows up?
>
>ALERT Code XXXXX Code XXXXX
>
>And those codes look pretty unmnemonic, which means that just about each and
>every combination of letters and numbers has some special significance.
>This means a Space Ranger (or maybe just JoJo) is obliged to memorize anywhere
>from 10^10 to 36^10 combinations of code, and their significance.  Couldn't
>the programmers of THE ALERT system just put in some helpful text with their
>codes?  Something like 'Banshees Attacking!' or something like that...

It might do that on alternate screens.  I'd also figure that the
Rangers only memorize the really important alert codes and have some
quick reference method for the rest.

>"We come in peace (Shoot to kill)...":
>When the Rangers entered the cave, why did they have their guns out and were
>making like guerillas when they were on a rescue mission?

They might have been expecting more killer plant-things.

>"Rookie, you IDIOT!!!": Yes, it was all very nice that Rookie came to help out
>but uh... everybody else in the ship came via armored pod.  That meant Rookie
>did too.  And Rookie was the one who pressed the manual control to launch the
>others off.  How did Rookie press the manual control to launch himself?

Time delayed launch?  Computer controlled activation systems?  He got
the girl to pull the lever?

>More importantly; how are they going to GET BACK UP THERE???  Did Rookie think

Auto-retrevial systems?  Remote controls?

>I may like the show, but good science fiction it is definitely not.

Don't overanalyze it; you'll enjoy it a lot more.  I put my brain in
neutral and just go with it - works a lot better that way with about
all TV science fiction programs.

-- 
Kansas Jim (Jim Ogle, TORG guru)                               /|
jogle@aoc.nrao.edu (NRAO-VLBA, Socorro New Mexico)           o| |-
"I'd be apathetic if I cared."                              /| \|