The Sleestak God

The Sleestak God was the Second Episode of the First Season of Land of the Lost. It was written by David Gerrold.
== Summary ==
The Marshalls have their first encounter with the dangerous Sleestak.
==Plot==
In the cave, the Marshalls are making brooms and traps when Rick sends Will and Holly to the water hole to fill the family's collapsible plastic water jugs, but Will leads Holly on a "shortcut," and they cross a stone bridge over a deep crevasse. The Marshall children discover a new location which appears to be an ancient temple which is being guarded by an allosaurus. Will and Holly return across the stone bridge to tell Rick about what they've found.
In the jungle, Cha-ka, is still limping around and wearing the splint which Rick put on him the few months before. He hides behind some rocks at Will and Holly's approach. Will stops in a clearing to signal Rick in Morse code, using a mirror, saying "I'm telling him about the lost city." Rick signals back that he will meet them at the crevasse, and they go to fill their water jugs. Cha-ka limps along to follow them secretly.
Will and Holly discover Pakuni footprints in a patch of oxidized sand and follow them. Unbeknownst to them, Cha-ka is following at a distance, leaving a second set of Pakuni footprints along with Will and Holly's footprints. When they enter the area again, they notice a second set of Pakuni and two sets of human footprints. Will realizes they have been tracking themselves in a circle but Holly insists that he is wrong, pointing out that there are new Pakuni prints, and they head off again.
The third time around they stop and hide behind a rock as Cha-Ka enters the scene, and they jump up to greet him. He runs off and Will chases after him. Will catches up with the Pakuni as they suddenly come across a triceratops. Will and Cha-ka flee as the dinosaur charges and they rejoin Holly. The three hide behind a rock as the triceratops thunders past. Cha-ka agrees that he is Will and Holly's "fa-rend," but he still does not know how to shake a hand presented to him. Will and Holly give Cha-ka water from their canteen, and Will uses his knife to cut off Cha-Ka's splint. They leave Cha-ka, but he follows them.
The group reaches the crevasse again and crosses. Rick is not there to meet his children as planned. Will and Holly attempt to return to the lost city, losing their way and discovering a foggy terrain and a different set of stone structures, with words scrawled on a wall saying "BEWARE OF SLEESTAK" in English. Cha-Ka has been warning them about "Su-rees-a-takk-a" (Sleestak) and flees. Will thinks he can find his way back to the Temple, but Cha-Ka runs off in the opposite direction. As the Marshalls leave, three Sleestak emerge from behind the structures.
The Marshall children manage to find their way back to the Temple, but the Sleestak have followed and surrounded them. They are carried off by the Sleestak. Cha-ka, now running from the allosaurus, returns to the stone bridge, where Rick has finally arrived. Cha-ka is able to convey to Rick that his children are in trouble, and Rick follows Cha-ka to the lost city.
Will and Holly are captives in a Sleestak cave, hanging in a net over a foggy pit. A distant roar signals that a hungry beast awaits in the pit. Meanwhile, Cha-Ka has led Rick to the warning about the Sleestak. The Marshall children figure out how to swing their net to the edge of the pit, and release themselves from the net. Before they can complete their escape the Sleestak return, hissing menacingly.
Cha-ka has brought Rick to the lost city entrance, and shows him the dropped plastic water containers. The alllosaurus wanders by and they hide. When the danger passes, Cha-ka shows him a torch and conveys that Rick must use it in the lost city. The allosaurus chases them and they enter the lost city, where the dinosaur cannot follow them.
Rick leads Cha-ka through a maze of tunnels with sparkling walls, menaced by approaching Sleestak. Rick is able to drive them off with the torch, and follow his children's voices to the cavern where they are once again hanging over the pit. Cha-ka uses the torch to keep the Sleestak at bay. Rick gives Will a knife to cut the net. They accidentally drop the torch into the pit and the resulting brilliant red flood of light and deafening roaring sound effect drives away the Sleestak. Cha-ka has apparently stolen Rick's lighter again which he takes back as everyone escapes.
The group heads back across the crevasse. Cha-ka has learned to shake hands, although his version involves licking the hand as he holds it. Meanwhile, Rick points out that the children still have not filled the water containers, much to their dismay.
==Message==
* Never stray from the path you are taking unless you are looking for trouble.
==Cast==
* Spencer Milligan as Rick Marshall
* Wesley Eure as Will Marshall
* Kathy Coleman as Holly Marshall
* Philip Paley as Cha-Ka
* David Greenwood as Sleestak
* William Laimbeer as Sleestak
* John Lambert as Sleestak
==Dinosaurs==
* Alice
* Spike
==Quotes==
* Coming Up
==Trivia==
* It must be six to eight weeks since the first episode since it would take that long for Cha-Ka's fracture to heal.
Category: 1974-1976 Episodes
Category: Season One Episodes
Category: Episodes
Category: Sleestak Episodes