In
“The Death Scouts,” a pair of vacationing scuba divers (Tiffany Bolling, Burr
de Benning) are pulled down into the water by mysterious assailants. When they re-appear on dry land, they are no
longer human, but alien scouts with frightening physical powers.
Working
at the Foundation for Oceanic Research, Mark Harris (Patrick Duffy) teams with Dr.
Elizabeth Merrill (Belinda J. Montgomery) and Dr. Simon (Kenneth Tigar) to
investigate the duo. Mark finds a
spaceship at the bottom of the sea, and finds aboard it a symbol like the one
on his swim-suit, suggesting that the aliens may be of his species.
Similarly,
the alien scouts have webbed-fingers, which makes Mark curious about them, even
as the Federal Government wants to eliminate the threat to earth and mankind
that the duo could pose.
The
second TV movie in the Man from Atlantis is already a bit
of a step-down from the excellent original telefilm. There’s not a whole lot of
plot or character development considering the episode’s length (90 minutes),
and very little about Mark Harris or his history is actually learned in the story.
On the other hand, at least there are breadcrumbs to follow.
“The
Death Scouts” (written by Robert Lewin and directed by Marc Daniels) involves
Mark’s discovery of a “spaceship from a
water planet” and his interactions with two alien sentinels who possess many
physical similarities to him. However, they are -- at least initially -- hostile.
The
story takes a (bad) turn when a hokey romantic attraction is suggested between
Tiffany Bolling’s scout and Mark Harris. We move into hoary territory as she
asks Mark if he understands the word “kiss.”
This is an attempt to tell a tragic story about Mark’s first encounter
with love but it doesn’t entirely fit, perhaps coming too soon in his learning
curve.
Intriguingly the last episode of
the regular series, “Deadly Carnival,” retells (without apparent memory of “The
Death Scouts”) Mark’s first romantic attraction…there with a carnival owner
played by Sharon Farrell.
Of
more genuine interest is Mark’s steadfast defense of the scouts, whom he
believes hold the secret to his origins.
He has discovered the same symbol that is on his trademark yellow
swimsuit in the alien control room.
This
means, of course, that the aliens have had contact with the people of
Atlantis. Mark keeps defending the
aliens, and he makes assumptions that aren’t true. “They
are my people. They have come for me.”
Elizabeth,
rightly, puts on the brakes. She helps him to understand that his “eagerness to know the truth” about
himself has led him to accept lies, or assumptions. Her point of view is ultimately vindicated, and
Mark learns a lesson about trust, emotions and even prejudice.
Elements
of “The Death Scouts” work very well.
The relationship between Elizabeth and
Mark is sweet, and one of mentor and student, with a hint of romance.
I also admired the creepiness of the early scenes where something "alien" rises from the water, and pulls the scuba divers from their boat. There's a creepy shot of a gray, indistinct hand and arm yanking one diver down.
The finale in the alien spaceship control
room, with Mark deploying flares against the enemy scout while a self-destruct
sequence activates, is filmed effectively and memorable.
I also like the '70s future-look of the ship. The interior would have been right at home on Space:1999.
My
favorite moment, however in “The Death Scouts” is a small, but beautiful one. Mark leaves
the airlock of a submarine after a long time on land, and he rolls and spins in
the sea, perfectly expressing the joy of being back home.
That’s the kind of visual unspoken character touch that keeps
one watching Man from Atlantis.
Next:
“Killer Spores.”
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