Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost (1992): "The Gladiators" (October 3, 1992)

In “The Gladiators” the Sleestak leader, Shung, utilizes his crystal sword to hypnotize dinosaurs into fighting for him as gladiators in his make-shift jungle arena.  When Christa (Shannon Day) interferes to rescue her triceratops friend, Shung decides that she would make the perfect gladiator, and exerts his mind control over her, instead.

With Christa’s unwitting help, the Sleestak capture the Porters, and make them fight in the arena.  When Kevin -- who has been training with his dad in the art of karate -- defeats a Sleestak in battle, Shung decides it is time for a new challenge.

Kevin shall have to fight his father…to the death.

There’s a cliché in science fiction/cult television I call “fight club.”  In stories of this type, peaceful protagonists are forced to fight in an arena or other venue for personal combat.  Sometimes, this fight pits friend against friend, ally against ally.

On Star Trek (1966 – 1969), “Amok Time” saw Spock and Kirk engage in ritualistic combat on Vulcan’s arid surface.  In The Starlost (1973), Devon (Keir Dullea) had to fight the Governor (John Colicos) in the town square to win the hand of Rachel (Gay Rowan) in marriage, and so forth.

This trope has recurred elsewhere as well, in series including Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century (“Escape from Wedded Bliss”), and more recently, Angel (“The Ring”) and Smallville.

“The Gladiators” is the Land of the Lost’s version of similar material, with Shung the Sleestak capturing the Porters and forcing them to fight one another for his amusement in a make-shift arena…apparently simply for his own pleasure.

The story of “The Gladiators” is familiar, and yet the episode is still a lot of fun, in part because Christa must overcome her brainwashing to rescue her friends.  Christa is my favorite character on the new series, and we haven’t seen her at all in the second season yet.  But here, she gets to hiss and spit at the Porters as if she is a wild animal, which is fun.

In addition, Land of the Lost pushes its story-arc forward a bit in “The Gladiators.” At the end of the tale, Christa destroys Shung’s crystal sword, a Sleestak weapon that has proven vexing for the Porters since nearly the beginning of the program.  Here, Christa grabs the weapon, and snaps it, leaving Shung without the capacity to pull this brainwashing trick again.

Vis-à-vis believability, “The Gladiators” stretches belief a tiny bit by having Kevin defeat a Sleestak in hand-to-hand combat.  The Sleestak (conveniently) has a weak left eye, a vulnerability that Kevin exploits…but it still doesn’t feel particularly honest. 

It’s also convenient for Kevin that his father has begun teaching him self-defense techniques at the very time that Sleestaks are capturing people to be used as gladiators.

Next week: “Life’s a Beach.” 

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost (1991): "The Thief" (November 23, 1991)

In “The Thief,” the Porter family plans a surprise birthday party for Christa. In order to impress the jungle girl, Kevin plans to make her a necklace.  He steals several gems from a pterodactyl nest near a mountaintop.

When the treehouse is ransacked, and the gems turn up missing, Kevin blames Stink, who had shown an interest in the jewels.  Although Stink maintains his innocence, Kevin is cruel to him, and calls him a thief.

In time, the real culprit is identified: the pterodactyl. 

When Kevin ends up trapped in the flying dinosaur’s nest, it’s Stink to the rescue…

“The Thief” is an episode of the Land of the Lost  (1991 – 1992) remake that sometimes plays like an episode of a bad 1990s family sitcom, with one character accusing another of doing something bad, and then hurt feelings generated all around. 

The message, telegraphed early and often is -- as the Super Friends might note at this juncture -- “don’t jump to conclusions” about people or their actions. It’s a good lesson (and this is a kid’s show so that’s fine…), but this episode does feel a bit heavy-handed.

What makes the episode somewhat more interesting -- if not necessarily good -- is Robert Gavin’s high-energy portrayal of Kevin Porter.  He plays Kevin in “The Thief” not merely as wrong, but as downright brutal.  Kevin comes across so angry -- and as such a jerk -- that I was reminded of Dirk Diggler stoned on cocaine in Boogie Nights (1997). 

Seriously, Kevin transmits not only as angry, but as downright psychotic.  He treats Stink terribly, and it’s to Stink’s credit that he forgives Kevin at all.

I think the point of “The Thief” is that, for we all say and do things that we regret -- I already regret the Dirk Diggler joke in the above paragraph, for instance -- but Kevin is so vehement and horrible in both act and deed, that the appropriate moral take-away gets lost.  

And besides, the episode never really gets to the idea of who the real “thief” actually is here.  It was Kevin himself, who stole the gems from the pterodactyl nest, and put this whole sad affair into motion.  The “thief” of the episode’s title is Porter!

It is true however, that Kevin is repentant about his behavior in the end. It would have been even better, though, if he noted that he was at fault, from start to finish.  He stole the gems, he accused the wrong person, he acted like a jerk, and he created the whole situation.  

Perhaps the lesson here, then, is forgiving people not just when they make mistakes, but when they compound that mistake and it snowballs into something bigger.

Next week: "Power Play." 

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost (1991): "Heat Wave" (November 16, 1991)

In “Heat Wave,” the Porters and all the denizens of the Land of the Lost endure a terrible and long-lasting drought.  In desperate need of water, Kevin and Mr. Porter hike to a local watering hole only to discover that the Sleestak are already intent on using it.

Given a choice between leading the Sleestak back to their compound or sending them on a merry chase, the Porters choose the latter option, and head out into the wild…

“Heat Wave” is a relatively undistinguished, though harmless, episode of the 1991-1992 Land of the Lost remake.  It’s more of a “runaround” than anything else, and the episode eats up its running time with the Porters being chased by Sleestaks, or simply hiding from them. 

The main idea of “Heat Wave” is that it would be “game over” for the Porters if the Sleestak learn the location of their treehouse and compound.  This is so presumably because the Sleestak are so powerful and threatening. They would take the house by force for themselves, and kill or enslave the Porters and their entourage.

Unfortunately, the new series has routinely treated the Sleestak as comic buffoons, and demonstrated again and again how the Porters out-smart and out-fight them.  In other words, the episode’s central threat doesn’t really work as meaningfully as it should.

By contrast, on the original series the Sleestak were indeed menacing, and I remember some terrifying episodes in which they swarmed the Marshalls’ home (a temple, at that point) by night, and could barely be repelled.  The three Sleestak outcasts of the new series – seen in broad daylight -- just don’t rise to that level of terror. 

Accordingly, “Heat Wave” is never particularly thrilling or interesting.  The only interesting aspect of it is the pairing of Porter and his son, Kevin.   The episode becomes about their “father/son” bonding, but even this aspect of the tale would have felt more meaningful if the conflict with these re-done Sleestak were stronger villains.

Next week: “The Thief.

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost (1991): "Flight to Freedom" (November 9, 1991)

In “Flight to Freedom,” the Porters unexpectedly get an opportunity to escape from the Land of the Lost. 

Specifically, Kevin’s damaged television set begins to pick-up a strange signal that Mr. Porter believes may lead the family to an energy portal out of the land.

Alas, leaving behind the Land of the Lost also means leaving behind Christa (Shannon Day), Tasha, and Stink. 

The Porters attempt to make their peace with saying farewell to their friends, but when Scarface threatens the Paku and the tiny dinosaur, the family must decide what to do.

Should the Porters escape through the rapidly-closing portal, or stay behind and save their friends from the hungry T-Rex?

“Flight to Freedom” is a solid Saturday morning adventure story that nicely reflects on both the values of the Porter family, and the remake’s effort to tell tales in the style and fashion of the 1970s original upon which it is based. In particular, the episode recalls two episodes from the 1974-1977 series: “Follow that Dinosaur” and “The Pylon Express.”

In the former story, “Follow that Dinosaur,” the Marshalls used the diary of a Confederate soldier to find what they hoped was an exit from Altrusia.  They followed the diary’s map from location to location – and into the Lost City -- but found that it ended only with death and despair.  Here, the TV signal doubles for the diary, essentially, and leads the Porters to an energy portal that could lead them home.

In the latter story, “The Pylon Express,” Will, Holly and Marshall discovered a pylon that could transport them home, but they were separated and couldn’t leave each other behind in time to make use of the “express.” 

When all was said and done, however, the Marshalls realized that the Pylon Express would return in two or three years – during the next lunar eclipse -- and at that juncture, they would be able to return home. 

Here, the Porters find similar cause for optimism.  The portal may re-open again soon, and as long as they follow the TV signal, the Porters will be able to locate it, and return to their home.

In terms of both TV iterations of Land of the Lost, it’s important to recall that these programs were designed for children.  Accordingly, there’s a didactic message here about putting aside personal goals to help friends in need.  It’s a good lesson, and not terribly heavy-handed in delivery. 

However, it all could have been avoided if Mr. Porter had simply agreed to take Tasha and Stink through the portal, as they desired from the start.  A few episodes back, he realized he couldn’t endanger Tasha by leaving her in the jungle alone at her age.  That particular lesson should have been fresh in his memory here.  If he had agreed from the outset to take Tasha and Stink with the family, they all would have returned to 1990s America in safety at this juncture.  Of course, in a continuing series, you can’t have such a resolution…

I’ve been a bit hard on this Land of the Lost remake in terms of the luxuries it provides the stranded Porters.  The family has a TV set, a video camera, a radio and, of course, a car.  Unlike the Marshalls, they are hardly roughing it in the Land of the Lost.

In “Flight to Freedom,” the car is handled a bit better than it has been in some episodes.  It breaks down, for one thing, and Kevin has to repair it….with very little time to spare.  And for another thing, we see Mr. Porter putting gas in the vehicle, using a blue tank of gas.  At least some attention, then, is being paid to the fact that the car isn’t going to be a survival option for the family forever.

Next week: “Heat Wave”

Collection of the Week: Land of the Lost (Tiger Toys; 1991)

In the early 1990s, Sid and Marty Krofft resurrected their 1970s era hit, Land of the Lost (1991 - 1993), and created a remake that achieved good ratings and quite a bit of popularity with young fans.  Accordingly, Tiger Toys marketed a whole line of new Land of the Lost toys.

Tiger created a whole array of small action-figures for the series' characters.  These included dad Tom Porter (with canteen and back-pack), son Kevin Porter (with cam-corder and walk-man), and daughter Annie Porter (with bow-and-arrow).  The other cast members also appeared in plastic form, including the jungle girl Christa (who came with shield and spear), Stink (with running action...), and the baby dinosaur, Tasha.

Representing the bad-guys was the Sleestak leader, Shung, who was sold by Tiger replete with his crystal dagger/sword.  Nim, a Sleestak minion was also available.

These figures looked very show-accurate, but even more impressive were the play-sets.  The best of these was the Porter Treeehouse of "jungle home playset."  This huge set featured "an electronic trip wire with alarm sounds," "wind-up dino bashing mallet" and a "built-in log roll booby trap."

Shung found a home too, in the ancient temple of "Shung's Lair."  This villain playset featured an "electronic voice synthesizer" and "voice-activated flashing lights,"as well as over a dozen "weapons and accessories."

Vehicles and dinosaurs also played a role in the line.  An "electronic T-Rex" subbed for the dinosaur nemesis Scarface, and the Porters could tool around the prehistoric landscape in their land-master jeep.

I remember seeing all these Tiger Toy Land of the Lost toys in stores, but I was in college at the time, and not buying action-figures or other collectibles.  Today, I'd love to get my hands on the treehouse playset, the Landmaster and Shung's Lair, in particular. 

But in truth, I have one other wish: I would have loved toys of this quality and accuracy for the original 1974 - 1977 series.

Below, a series of commercials for the Land of the Lost toy line from Tiger Toys:

Board Games of the Week: Land of the Lost

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost: "Mind Games" (November 2, 1991)

In “Mind Games,” Shung (Tom Allard) becomes obsessed with Christa (Shannon Day), and uses his crystal blade and a stolen “peace” pendant to control her mind.  

This mind-control comes at an unfortunate time, however, as Annie Porter (Jenny Drugan) is spending time with Christa, learning to survive in the jungle and use a bow-and-arrow.

The Porters rally to save Christa, even as Shung takes control of her mind…

“Mind Games” is another fun, though not inspired, episode of the 1990s Land of the Lost.  Annie, Tasha and Christa have a sleep-over while the “boys” re-shingle the tree-house roof, and once more Shung makes trouble.

For some reason, this week Shung is obsessed with Christa -- though I can’t blame him -- and sets about making her his slave.  Christa struggles to break free of his influence, even as he tells her “I own you…I am your master now!”

Why does Shung care, one might ask.  Good question.

The episode also concerns Annie’s training to survive in the land of the lost, which is a good idea given the circumstances.  She could end up like Holly or Christa  -- alone in a hostile world -- and so it makes sense that she should be trained in using a bow and arrow.  The only sexist thing about this plot-line is that no one suggests Kevin learn to take care of himself in the same way.  It’s just assumed that he is capable of doing so.

Two other moments stand out in “Mind Games.”  

In the first, Christa swings on a vine and performs a spot-on Tarzan yell.  She swoops in to save Stink quite adroitly, but the yell -- and the vine -- represent clear Tarzan allusions.  The reference fits since Christa is a human child raised alone in the wild.

Secondly, the end of the episode finds Mr. Porter playing a 1990s hand-held video game unit.  

This toy represents yet another modern  luxury in this iteration of the Land of the Lost.  The Marshalls had virtually no such modern items in the 1970s version of the show, but the Porters have a boom-box, a video game console, a car, a video camera and more. 

This wealth of conveniences makes the new show seem more like an extended camping trip than a legitimate stranding in another pocket universe.  I just hope, at some point, the series acknowledges that the car will run out of gas, and the video camera and video game unit will run out of battery power…

Next week: “Flight to Freedom.”

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost: "Kevin vs. The Volcano" (October 26, 1991)

In “Kevin vs. the Volcano,” the Porters watch in horror as a volcano in the distance erupts and begins to send green (!) lava in the direction of their tree house.  

Mr. Porter (Timothy Bottoms) and Christa (Shannon Day) attempt to divert the lava flow by moving a huge boulder into its path through a narrow valley, but the lava seems unstoppable.

When Kevin (Robert Gavin) falls into a hole while battling Scarface, however, he finds what could be the answer.  

In an ancient subterranean cave, he finds forgotten Sleestak technology: a glowing crystal structure that can reverse the lava flow, and undo the eruption entirely!

Last week, I wrote a bit about how the 1990s version of Land of the Lost was taking the old story concepts of the original series, and updating them for the new series.  Last week’s episode “Day for Knight,” was a “guest-star in the land of the lost” story.  

This week, we get a re-boot of another original series staple: the "regulating of the environment" story.

In the original series, the Marshalls had to prove themselves careful and good shepherds of Altrusia, and they did so in stories such as “One of Our Pylons is Missing,” “The Longest Day,” “Black Out” and “The Orb.”  

In basically all those tales, some force (either the Sleestaks or a malfunctioning pylon) managed to get the environment out-of-whack, causing a cascade of danger in the land.  The instability threatened everyone. Thus the Marshalls had to repair the damage and regulate the environment to so.  They had their pylons, crystals, and matrix tables to help them do so.

“Kevin vs. the Volcano” sees Kevin finding a similar mechanism: an ancient crystal device in a cave.  

The mechanism is Sleestak technology, and Mr. Porter speculates that it is an energy generator, perhaps one in a network of such devices.  How precisely, this crystal device regulates the volcano is not made entirely clear, but that’s okay.  If the Sleestak were sufficiently advanced once, perhaps they placed these devices as volcano guards to keep them from erupting.  

On some vague level, it makes at least a modicum of sense.

What differs now is that the Porters solve the problem almost entirely by accident, and don’t show much interest in pursuing their discovery of ancient Sleestak technology though, conceivably, it could provide a way for them to return home.  

Where Rick Marshall mapped the Pylons, learned their functions, and felt a responsibility to shepherd the environment, the approach by the Porters is much more scatter-shot.  Thus, one of the key thematic aspects of the original series -- responsibility to nature -- is relatively absent here.

Still, “Kevin vs. the Volcano” is an exciting episode of Land of the Lost for a few reasons. It not only introduces the ancient Sleestak technology, it features some very strong special effects moments involving Scarface, the resident T-Rex.  My favorite such moment shows the imposing dinosaur in front of Vasquez Rocks – the very place where Captain Kirk battled the Gorn on the original Star Trek.

Next week: “Mind Games.”

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost: "Day for Knight" (October 19, 1991)

In “Day for Knight,” a portal opens in the land of the lost and deposits a young knight in the middle of a battle between the Porter children and Shung’s Sleestak underlings.  Balin saves Christa’s (Shannon Day) life, which makes Kevin (Robert Gavin) feel both jealous and inadequate. 

Meanwhile, Shung (Tom Allard) determines that he must possess Balin’s sword, or “magic blade.”

Balin, who considers himself a “dragon slayer,” soon reveals the truth to Kevin.  He’s but a lowly squire who appropriated his knight’s armor for a night, when he went through the portal. He is not any braver than Kevin, and in a battle with Scarface, Kevin proves his mettle.

When the portal re-opens, Balin returns home…

“Day for Knight” opens with Kevin’s "dream" fantasy of rescuing comely Christa from Scarface, using ridiculous martial arts moves.  The dream is embarrassing enough, but then Kevin wakes up to find Tasha lovingly licking his face.  It’s an…icky way to open the episode, for sure.

After that opening, “Day for Knight” settles into a story that should feel familiar to all fans of the original Land of the Lost (1974 – 1977).  

In that series, many episodes featured a visitor from another time period becoming stranded in the pocket universe for the duration of the episode, and then departing before the end credits.  In the original series, Native Americans, Union Soldiers, hot air balloonists, military pilots, and even sailors (The Flying Dutchman) found their way into the land before escaping to greener pastures.  In the 1990s Land of the Lost, the first human visitor is Balin, a young knight.  At episode’s end, the portal just miraculously opens beside him and he is able to return home, thus leaving the Porters behind.

Why can’t something like that happen to the Porters, one wonders?  

This is the first time since the series began that a portal has opened up, and Kevin can’t go through it because he’d be trapped in the wrong time, but also because he’d be leaving his family behind.  Still, it would be nice if there was some kind of rhyme or reason to the appearance (and re-appearance) of the portals in this version of the mythology.  In the original series, portals often opened as a result of fiddling with Matrix tables in pylons, but here it seems totally random, and Balin is one lucky guy, for sure.  Getting to the right portal at the right time must be one in a million...

Of course, there’s no guarantee that this is his portal either.  Maybe Balin arrives on the other side of the portal in the Porter’s era…

As was the case in previous stories, this episode features the Sleestak as the buffoons/comic-menace of the week.  For some reason, Shung becomes obsessed with getting possession of the knight’s sword, which is a pretty weak motivation for his involvement in the drama. Shung already has a crystal blade with mystical powers beyond human comprehension.  Why does he need a steel blade from the Middle Ages?

“Day for Knight” isn’t the worst episode so far, to be certain, but it isn’t exactly tightly-constructed, either.  

The portals work arbitrarily (obligingly depositing and taking away the guest star while leaving the main cast stranded permanently), the Sleestaks are as ineffective as usual, and Kevin’s fantasy about Christa is cringe-inducing.  What this episode does establish is that, in some sense, Land of the Lost is attempting to update the original source material while telling the same brand of story.

Next Week: “Kevin vs. the Volcano.”

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: "Wild Thing" (October 12, 1991)

In “Wild Thing,” the sixth episode of the 1991-1992 Land of the Lost remake, the baby dinosaur Tasha begins to unwittingly make trouble for the Porters.  

She is loud at night, and keeps waking up the family.  Then, Tasha accidentally knocks over the shower stall that Mr. Porter has laboriously constructed.

Feeling that he has little choice, Porter orders Annie to send Tasha away to live in the wild.  

“No matter how sweet she is, she’s still an animal,” he notes.

Meanwhile, however, Shung and the Sleestak are looking for a way to gain possession of the Porters’ chariot, and set a trap in the woods for the now-on-her-own Tasha. 

 Fortunately, a brontosaurus Tasha has befriended comes to her aid…

In the original Land of the Lost (1974 – 1977), patriarch Rick Marshall had the presence of mind, foresight, and flat-out good sense to tell his daughter Holly that she could not keep the baby brontosaur Dopey as a pet.  It was hard to let the dinosaur go, but Marshall spared Holly a lot of pain by laying down the law early.  By refusing to let her take the dinosaur as a pet, Marshall prevented a world of problems.

Mr. Porter in the remake of Land of the Lost could learn a lot from Rick.

Here -- several episodes after Annie and the family have “adopted” Tasha -- he decides that she would be better off living in a pen, and then, finally, that she should live in the wild.  In the end, however, he must bring the young dinosaur home again, to Annie, Tasha (and the audience’s) relief.    But what lesson does he teach his child?  That parents can be capricious, cruel, and foolish?

In other words, the whole episode represents an unnecessary exercise.  Porter puts his daughter and Tasha through an emotional nightmare just to end with the original status quo.

It’s weird, but Mr. Porter is uncharacteristically mean and short-sighted in “Wild Thing,” and he also waffles a lot.  First, he tries to get rid of Tasha, but then -- when he sees she could get hurt in the wild -- welcomes her back.  Certainly, if Mr. Porter was advocating for releasing the dinosaur into the jungle, he must have realized that she might get hurt.  How could he have not considered that fact in the first place?

I know I’m not being particularly nice about this episode of Land of the Lost, but the whole story bothered me.  You don’t get rid of a pet -- let alone a family member -- just because keeping them around becomes inconvenient. 

In my house right now, we have three geriatric cats that we love, and one of them is having a problem urinating on carpets.  But she’s part of the family and has been since 1999.  We’re working to solve the problem…but we would never dream of getting rid of her.  Alas, there are many people who do treat pets the way Mr. Porter does in "Wild Thing."  Pets are wonderful...until they do something people don’t like.  I used to know someone who, when they didn’t like a cat, would drive the animal to “the farm.”  The “farm” was actually a euphemism for dropping off the animal alone in the country.

Anyway, “Wild Thing” smacks of that kind of thinking to me.  It doesn’t seem realistic or true to what we know of Mr. Porter’s character that he would suddenly decide to get rid of Tasha, especially given the fact that Scarface is nearby (and in fact, murdered Tasha’s mother and the rest of her litter). 

Secondly, it’s abundantly clear from the get-go that getting rid of Tasha is wrong, so the whole episode feels like an unnecessary exercise in futility, as we wait for Mr. Porter to come to the pre-ordained conclusion that he was wrong in the first place.  Again, he only makes Annie and Tasha suffer here, and does no real good.

Once again, this episode seems like another situation where the writing and characterization on the original Land of the Lost is a lot stronger than it is on the 1990s follow-up.

Next week: “Day for Knight.”

Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Land of the Lost 1991: "The Crystal"

In “The Crystal,” the fifth episode of the 1991 Land of the Lost remake, Shung and his Sleestak cohorts manage to lose his prized crystal sword (seen for the first time in “Shung the Terrible.”)

The weapon unexpectedly comes into Annie Porter’s possession, and she decides to use it to get back at Kevin for his bad treatment of her.  Unfortunately, every time Annie uses the alien crystal, she seems to lose a bit more of her humanity, becoming more and more unforgiving, and more and more cruel to boot.

Mr. Porter, Kevin and Shung himself attempt to get the dark crystal out of Annie’s possession, but she becomes fiercely protective of it.  Finally, Mr. Porter convinces her that the crystal is “evil” and “wrong,” and that she will end up like Shung if she continues to use it.  Annie willingly gives it up, ashamed of her behavior…

Driven by a strong moral and thematic through-line, “The Crystal” is another decent (if not inspired) episode of Land of the Lost (1991 – 1992).  In some sense, the episode is a thinly-veiled remake of an original series episode called “Scarab,” which saw Chaka (Philip Paley) bitten by a golden insect, and transformed into a hostile, deceitful creature.  Shung’s crystal here has roughly the same effect on Annie, and it’s up to her loving family (which includes Stink and Tasha) to bring her back into the fold.

Visually, “The Crystal” is a strong episode, and possession of the sword begins to transform cute little Annie into something not-so-cute.  She stops wearing her glasses, and we see dark circles under her eyes. Her hair grows more wild, and her acts of evil seem to become easier and easier for the youngster to parse.  Annie’s mental degeneration is matched, then, by her physical one.

I also like the implications inherent in “The Crystal.”  If Shung has been in possession of this weapon for a long time, has it totally devoured his soul too?  Is he such a rotten bastard because he owns this crystal weapon?   If he were separated it from any length of time, would he become more humane?

Certainly, that’s one possible reading of the context of this episode.  And “The Crystal’s” end -- in which sword knowingly seeks out Shung again—absolutely suggests that the Sleestak is not in control.  Rather, the crystal dominates his actions.

I know I complained a lot about Shung and the Sleestak a couple weeks back when I reviewed “Shung the Terrible,” but I can’t object to their use here.  They support the story-line ably, and the notion of Shung as victim of the crystal actually deepens a character that I assumed to be one-dimensional.  At least the 1990s Land of the Lost seems to be deploying the Sleestak sparingly, rather than making them the center of attention.  So far…

As my friend and regular reader SGB pointed out a few weeks ago, Land of the Lost is indeed made for children, and in some ways, the 1991 variation on the franchise is much more childish than the 1970s version.   “The Crystal” is a highly-didactic show that sends a good message to kids about the allure of evil, and the dangers to oneself from that allure.

In other words, “The Crystal” lives up to the best tradition of the original Sid and Marty Krofft Land of the Lost. It doesn’t talk down to kids.

Next week: “Wild Thing.”