Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: BraveStarr: "The Taking of Thistledown 123"

In “The Taking of Thistledown 123,” a visiting galactic ambassador suggests that New Texas needs no marshal, and that no threat exists from the planet’s bandits such as Tex Hex. In fact, the alien ambassador would very much like to end BraveStarr’s tenure on the planet.

But when Tex Hex captures Thistledown 123, the largest Kerium freighter in the galaxy, and kidnaps the ambassador, the diplomat has cause to reconsider his point-of view.  As the alien’s atmosphere supply runs low, BraveStarr and his friends plot a daring rescue.

As is plain from the episode’s title, “The Taking of Thistledown 123” harks back to the 1974 Joseph Sargent film, The Taking of Pelham 123, which concerned criminals taking over a busy New York City subway and demanding ransom for the passengers.

In this case, the story has been translated to the future and another world all together, but some key aspects of the narrative remain.  We have the commandeered vehicle and hostages in danger, specifically.

BraveStarr also seems to have inherited Star Trek’s (1966 – 1969) intense and frequent dislike of diplomats, and in almost knee-jerk fashion. 

In episodes such as “A Taste of Armageddon” and “Mark of Gideon” in original Trek, diplomats proved so irritating that even the calm and cool Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) disliked and verbally upbraided them.  Similarly, the ambassador in “Thistledown” is obviously not thinking straight when he plans to remove BraveStarr from service on this dangerous frontier planet. 

Unfortunately, the ambassador’s plans are not borne out by facts or by reason. A quick review of Fort Kerium’s arrest records would reveal, in detail, just why a lawman is a necessity on this dangerous world.  

But the ambassador is present in this BraveStarr episode to create drama and conflict, and ultimately admit that BraveStarr is “The right man for the job.” It’s all a little facile, even for a kid’s show.  Kids know that the series isn’t going to relocate the Marshall, or get rid of him, since he is the main character.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of this BraveStarr story is the fact that the alien ambassador is endangered by his own life-support requirements.  He breathes an atmosphere different from the humanoid beings on New Texas, and so if BraveStarr can’t rescue him in time, he will run low on atmosphere and die.  This idea adds some nice “countdown”-type tension to the story.

In terms of artist design, "The Taking of Thistledown 123" is a mixed bag, in my estimation.  The Kerium freighter looks great, but the ambassador is a bit too fanciful looking for my taste.

The "lesson" of the week in the episode's post-script is about working together, or "teamwork."

Next week: “No Drums, No Trumpets.”