The show opens with Greer, Johansen, Scott, and Dr. Park hunting some deer like animal on a lush planet to get some meat when their prey is spooked. They hear something interesting/strange/scary and are attacked, but we don’t know what it is. All we see is from the creature’s point of view. (I don’t like creature cams as a general rule. It doesn’t build suspense with me, it’s just annoying.) Greer hesitates to take a shot and ends up regretting it.
By the time they get back to the ship to review some keno footage, they report that Reynolds and TJ are missing. Lt. Scott wants to go after them, but Col. Young won’t allow it. They send down an armed party. Greer’s hesitancy becomes a sore spot between him an Young. Varro offers his team’s talents and experience in tracking animals to help track the mysterious beast and Lt. Scott agrees.
Elsewhere on Destiny, Rush, Eli and Brody are out exploring some unexplored parts of the ship and stumble across a room full of stasis pods. Rush wants to leave them alone and research the ship’s data before digging in further. Eli is stunned by the decision and thinks Rush is being too controlling. Even though Rush says leave them alone, Eli cannot resist and goes back to check them out. While messing around, Brody gets trapped in one of the stasis pods and “frozen”. Rush calls Eli from the bridge to check in on him and Eli gives a lie about him and Brody getting something to eat, but Rush knows full well where he is and what has happened.
On the planet, TJ and Reynolds awake to find themselves in a cave with no sidearm and only one non-working radio. Reynolds’ cannot walk due to a broken leg. TJ finds a pit full of bones and determines that the beast is saving them for later. TJ looks out of the cave entrance (a rather high cliffside perch) to find the creature far below outside protecting its lair. Reynolds thinks TJ might run off to save herself, but she reassures him that she’s not going anywhere. When Reynolds starts to feel afraid that he’s going to get eaten alive, TJ tells him he can either walk back to Destiny or she can carry him back in shame.
The search party (including Varro, Young and Greer) determine that the creature wanted TJ and Reynolds alive and that they have to search quickly because it will soon be dark. Varro’s team quickly finds some tracks to follow, but after tracking for them a while, they suddenly stop. The rescue party is attacked again and one of Varro’s people is killed. Greer makes no hesitation to shoot this time and ends up chasing the beast for a while before Varro catches up and talks some sense in to him letting him know that this animal is smart and knows how to divide each one from the group. It lead them to that spot for that attack. Greer starts to doubt himself (along with others on the team.) He has to face the fact that he was scared from the surgery and his close call with death for the first time in his life. Varro stitches up Young, also injured in the attack, and sends him back to the ship.
During the daylight, Varro and Greer plot their strategy and Greer briefly brings up Varro’s interest in TJ before the beast reappears. Two of Varro’s people are picked off after they believe they killed the monster – that’s when they realize there’s more than one monster – likely, a mother and babies. From the cave, TJ gets the radio working and radios her situation to Greer. When Greer and Varro get to the cave, they argue about who is going. Varro thinks Greer is second guessing himself and is a liability, but Greer wins out. As one of the monsters returns to the cave TJ and Corporal Reynolds are armed only with sharpened sticks. Greer comes in and TJ tells him not to shoot. “It recognizes intelligence”, is her claim. Face to face with the monster, Greer lowers his weapon and amazingly it backs down so they escape safely. (Pretty cheesy moment IMHO, but plausible.)
Back on the ship, Chloe tries filling in for TJ in the infirmary and asks Volker if Lisa (Dr. Park) knows hows he feels about her, but Volker tells Chloe that it’s platonic. He’s not fooling anyone. Later, Dr. Park awakes in the infirmary to find Volker watching him – he also brought her something to eat. Rush brings Dr. Park something to work on and Volker expresses his concern. When Volker returns to the bridge he spars with Rush about him and Dr. Park. Rush says he’s not the “romantic type”, but rather the “good friend type”. Volker is hurt, or at least contemplative.
In the stasis chamber room, Eli gets Chloe and shows her what he’s done and hopes some of her alien knowledge might help. She recommends telling Dr. Rush, but Eli wants to solve the problem just once to prove he doesn’t need Rush for every little thing. Of course, Rush remotely unfreezes Brody and we get a reminder that he’s still an insensitive bastard. At the end of the show Rush suggests to Brody and Eli that they go check out the chambers, but they mockingly say they should wait.
As Reynolds, TJ, Varro, and Greer head back to the ship, they come across one of the deer-like creatures and Greer looks like he’s going to shoot, but we don’t know if he ever did (was he hesitant again?) In the final scene we see several crew enjoying “Becker’s BBQ” in the mess – I guess he shot anyway. For his rescue efforts, Varro is released and given quarters of his own. TJ comes to thank him and of course they end up nearly kissing when there’s a knock at the door from Col. Young. Uh-oh, remember, he still has feelings for her, but does she still feel the same? Time to sort this mess out before it gets started TJ. Also in the relationship category, Volker walks in to the infirmary to see Dr. Park enjoying a friendly conversation with Greer. Volker backs out before they notice him… dun dun duuuunnnn.
Editor’s Notes: Once again I love the way the characters are evolving. Greer’s recognition of his own mortality is great. Volker and Park? I didn’t see that one coming, then it getting twisted around – or did it? Is Greer only guilty of having some conversation? Can Volker tell Park how he feels or was Rush right? What about TJ, Young, and Varro? There’s only a couple shows to get this sorted out – then again, they may not. I hate you SyFy for canceling this show just as the characters and story are truly developing.
Rating: 10/10
