http://www.anotheruniverse.com/columns/park/park090799.html
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WARNING:
This is a spoiler! If you do not want to know how a particular episode
turns out, do not read byond this point. Once again, do not read these
episode descriptions if you do not want to know the outcome of the story.
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Starship Troopers Episode Guide, Part I
by Rob Allstetter
webdate: 9/7/99 1:37:43 PM
TrailerPark@AnotherUniverse.com
One of the television season's first hits just might be
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles.
The series, spinning out of the live-action movie, uses eye-opening
computer-generated animation, not only for all the bugs, but for the
human characters as well.
Roughnecks began Aug. 30 in syndication and on Sci Fi (formerly the Sci
Fi Channel). Here's a look at the first 20 episodes of the series. Look
for more information on the next 20 episodes in Friday's Trailer Park
column.
101 "Freefall"
Not long after military forces from Earth think they've defeated an
alien Bug infestation on Pluto, the insects return and threaten our
scientific outposts. Mobile Infantry forces are sent back to Pluto for
what is believed to be a little mop-up mission. Rookie Troopers Johnny
Rico, Dizzy Flores and Carl Jenkins make their first military drop with
"Razak's Roughnecks," an M.I. squad let by Lt. Razak, a legendary
soldier known for his heroism. Shortly after they arrive, the Roughnecks
discover that this is not just a simple "hit and run" mission ... but the
first battle of what's to become the First Interstellar War.
102 "Plasma Bugs Of Navarone"
Carmen and Zander are trapped in a scientific research outpost on Pluto
when their Retrieval ship is shot down by Plasma Bugs. Razak's
Roughnecks pick up a distress call from Carmen, and set out to locate
the Plasma Bug Cave and destroy the insects. Rico is driven by the need
to be Carmen's rescuer, risking his own life and the safety of his squad
... but when the mission is over, Carmen is unaware that Rico is
ultimately responsible for her rescue.
103 "Handle With Care"
S.I.C.O.N. decides to send the Roughnecks on a special mission: bring
back a live Plasma Bug from behind enemy lines. Along with an uptight
Ivy-league Intelligence officer named Lieutenant Earle Walker, the
Roughnecks must transport the bug through rough terrain; meanwhile,
plasma reserves have reached critical mass inside the bug, and any
impact could cause it to explode. Lt. Razak is forced to take orders
from the ego-driven Walker, who is willing to risk lives for the sake of
this bug. This causes Rico to question whether Razak has lost his nerve
or his pride. In the end, despite Walker's threats, Razak decides to
save losing M.I. forces on Pluto by bombing the enemy with the Plasma
Bug. And Rico learns a valuable lesson about putting duty over ego.
104 "Basic Training"
When Higgins' actions during battle compromise the safety of the
Roughnecks, Lt. Razak wants to have him shipped back to Earth. But after
Rico stands up for him, Lt. Razak comes up with another plane -- Rico
will train Higgins and turn him into an efficient solider. Easier said
than done, however. Meanwhile, the Roughnecks must rescue a Demolition
Squad trapped in a canyon by an Warrior Bug ambush. But when they
arrive, the Roughnecks suddenly come under attack by a bug no one's seen
before -- the flying hopper, armed with a razor-sharp stinger. Laser
weapons don't seem to work on these bugs, and eventually the Roughnecks
discover the Hoppers actually absorb the laser energy, growing stronger.
105 "Deep Trouble"
The Roughnecks are one of several squads sent beneath the surface of the
planet to locate the source of the bug army, dubbed "Bug City," and call
in an airstrike. The Roughnecks travel deep into bug tunnels, and Dizzy
winds up suffering from extreme claustrophobia, which puts the entire
squad at risk during numerous bug attacks. Eventually, Carl places a
hypnotic suggestion in Dizzy's subconscious, curing her of her phobia.
The Roughnecks finally emerge back on the surface of Pluto, inside a
massive asteroid crater filled with bug eggs that have already hatched.
Then, the Roughnecks witness the arrival of a Transport Bug, which lays
more eggs and drops off hundreds of Adult Bugs -- leading to the
revelation that the Bugs are not native to Pluto, and the S.I.C.O.N.
forces are no longer facing a simple infestation, but a full-fledged war.
106 "Water, Water Everywhere"
The Transport Bug spotted dropping eggs and bugs onto Pluto is tracked
to a previously undiscovered planet, which is named Hydora. S.I.C.O.N.
orders The Roughnecks to watch the Transport and see if it has returned
to the Bugs' Home Planet...or if Hydora is some kind of Grand Central
Bug Station. When a new type of bug known as Ripplers exit the
Transport, Razak, Dizzy and Brutto follow the new arrivals; the rest of
the squad conducts surveillance on the Transport Bug. When this
surveillance group comes under attack by Ripplers, Doc and Gossard get
stranded on the side of a cliff ... Rico, Carl and Higgins get trapped
inside the Transport Bug. As they try to get out of the Transport, Carl
receives a psychic message from the Bugs. Eventually, the Roughnecks
regroup and report to S.I.C.O.N. that this is not the Bugs' Home Planet.
Then, reveals the message he received inside the Transport - the Bugs
want them to know that they won't stop until every human being,
everywhere, is destroyed.
107 "Swarm"
Carmen is stranded on Hydora while rescuing Troopers injured in a fierce
Bug battle. She teams up with Lt. Bernstein, the commander of Zebra
squad, now in charge of a makeshift group of Troopers from several
different squads. When they become trapped by a new aggressive strain of
Ripplers known as "Kamikazes," Razak's Roughnecks come to the rescue.
Word comes from S.I.C.O.N. command that these Kamikaze Ripplers are
swarming across the planet, preventing supplies and reinforcements from
getting in. Bernstein and his men, and Razak's Roughnecks take part in a
two-pronged battle plan -- eliminating the Kamikazes from underground
hide-outs, and driving the remainder up top, where Snipers are waiting
to take them out. Meanwhile, Rico is surprised to see Carmen ... and risks
his life and every one else's to try and impress her.
108 "Search & Destroy"
The Roughnecks are sent into enemy territory to search for a Rippler
nest and destroy it. Razak decides to split the Roughnecks into two
groups - Brutto is put in charge of one group, consisting of Rico, Carl,
Higgins and Doc; while Razak takes Dizzy and Gossard. Brutto's group
faces massive enemy threats along the way, a Carl is severely injured.
Rico and Doc want Brutto to break radio silence and notify Razak about
Carl, but Brutto refuses. Then, their boat winds up destroyed in a
whirlpool. Everybody survives, surfacing in a grotto where they're
picked up by Razak. Rico and Brutto come to blows over not contacting
Razak -- but the argument is cut short when The Roughnecks finally
discover the massive egg sacks, and Adult Ripplers arrive to defend the
babies. Rico saves Brutto's life ... and eventually, the squad must blow
up the grotto with a huge explosion -- which they must outrun in order
to live. Later, because Rico and Brutto have bonded, Rico covers for
Brutto. Razak is skeptical ... but lets it drop.
109 "Missing In Action"
The Roughnecks are sent down to Hydora to find two squads that have
vanished into thin air. On the way, Rico and Dizzy bicker when he
criticizes her for taking too many risks. During the search and rescue
operation, Dizzy races off on her own to battle Water Tigers -- large
amphibious beetles with giant pincers -- and Rico turns his back on her
for a split second. Dizzy also disappears, and Rico is devastated,
blaming himself. The Roughnecks eventually track Dizzy and the other
missing troopers to the Water Tigers' lair, where the MIA's have been
entombed in hive chambers. Dizzy and the others are rescued, revived
with an anti-venom, and everyone races to get out of the underground
lair, with Water Tigers giving chase. Razak eventually nukes the
place...and Rico, who has been going overboard trying to take care of
Dizzy, is eventually told by her to knock it off -- she likes him better
as a jerk.
110 "Sole Survivor"
The Roughnecks discover Lt. Ross, commander of Delta Squad, wandering on
Hydora, his long-term memory wiped out, and his entire squad missing.
The Roughnecks are sent on an investigative mission to discover what
happened to Ross and his men, while Carl is told to perform a mindscan
on Ross, unlocking his repressed memories. Rico has a problem with Carl
invading a man's mind, and tells Carl that if he's ever in trouble, to
stay out of his head. On Hydora, the Roughnecks wind up captured by
Warrior Bugs and taken to a cavern, where The Brain Bug that controls
the entire planet plans to mind probe the entire squad, starting with
Rico. Back on the Valley Forge, Carl discovers this is what happened to
Ross and his men. He tries to send Rico a psychic warning, but it is too
late ... and Carl races to Hydora with a group of Troopers to save his
squad from a horrifying fate. Carl has a psychic, telekinetic showdown
with the Brain Bug, blowing it up with a mindbomb. Later, Carl reveals
there are more Brain Bugs on every planet the Bug Army has invaded, and
the war is far from over. Rico and Carl come to an understanding about
his powers ... later it is learned that the confrontation with the Brain
Bug has hurt Carl, which he hides from the others.
111 "Betrayal"
The Roughnecks are sent on a seemingly routine recon mission of the
planet Tophet to determine if it can be used as a waystation for
S.I.C.O.N. to the rest of the galaxy. There, the Roughnecks encounter an
indigenous race of tall, thin iridescent humanoids known as Skinnies,
who appear to be friendly. Finding no Bugs, the landing proceeds. But
soon the Skinnies turn on the Roughnecks, revealing themselves to be
allied with the Bugs. The Roughnecks must then battle against both their
old and new foes in order To call off the landing before disaster occurs.
112 "Stranded"
Lt. Razak, suspicious of a lull in the Bug offensive, investigates the
area with Higgins in a surface skimmer. The pair spot a huge Bug migra
and call in an air strike. Unfortunately, their Skimmer crashes. Left
without communications and with the Bug horde advancing, they attempt to
find a nearby unmanned relay station to call for pick up before the air
strike. Along the way, Higgins and Razak start to form a bond.
Meanwhile, the Roughnecks strike out on a Search and Rescue mission for
their lost comrades. Eventually, the squad finds Razak and Higgins in
the nick of time. United, they fend off the Bug horde until Carmen can
pick them up just seconds before a Zander-lead air strike vaporizes the area.
113 "Of Flesh And Steel"
When a Cyborg named Chas (Cybernetic Humanoid Assault System) is
assigned to the Roughnecks, he is befriended by Higgins, who views the
robot as a kindred outsider. Rico (leery of technology as always)
doesn't trust Chas, seemingly with good cause. During a particular
battle, Chas ignores the fact that Carl's been hit by a Constrictor
blast and Rico must step in to save his friend. Because of the incident,
Razak recommends that Chas be "deactivated" when the squad returns to
base camp. Unfortunately, Chas witnesses that conversation and becomes
seemingly paranoid. Eventually, Chas proves himself a Trooper by
sacrificing himself for the good of Higgins and the rest of the squad.
141 (C-1) - "Pluto and Beyond"
The first "clip" show. Trying to explain the continuity errors and tie
together the loose ends created by airing the show out of sequence,
during it's time of slow production.
114 "Captured"
While returning from a mission, the Roughnecks are attacked and captured
by a contingent of Skinnies. Held hostage in a primitive but seemingly
inescapable Skinnie prison cell, tensions mount amongst the squad.
Meanwhile, Carl's mental state seems to have taken a turn for the worst.
When Carl and Brutto are taken away for interrogation, the rest of the
squad implements an escape plan utilizing the batteries from their Power
Suits to blast their way out of the cell. It is revealed that a Brain
Bug is actually leading the "interrogation" of Carl and Brutto, but Carl
is able to use his mental powers to energize Brutto, allowing the pair
to escape and link up with the rest of the squad.
115 "The Face Of Truth"
After clearing a mountain pass of a row of Blaster Bugs, the Roughnecks
are able to capture Colonel T'Phai, the leader of the Skinnies. After
normal interrogation methods fail, High Command orders Carl to use his
special abilities. When Carl complies, he discovers "two voices" inside
the Skinnie's head. It seems that a small, crab-like Control Bug has
been attached to T'Phai, controlling all his actions. It's revealed the
Bugs have always enslaved Skinnie population since the Troopers arrival.
Their task was to mine a highly unstable material called Xylon that
allows for interstellar Bug travel. The Roughnecks then join forces with
T'Phai to free the enslaved Skinnie population and prevent a Transport
Bug from leaving the planet with the Xylon.
116 "No Substitue"
Colonel T'Phai -- the Skinnie who was partially responsible for Carl's
fried brain -- joins the unit just as they're assigned the task of
taking Zegema Beach as part of the Tesca Nemerosa campaign. Needless to
say, the Roughnecks don't exactly welcome T'Phai with open arms.
Ultimately, T'Phai proves himself by risking his own life to save the
squad from ambush. Thanks to his intervention, the Roughnecks win the
day... and the beach. T'Phai finally gains acceptance -- from everyone
but Rico, who refuses to forgive him for what happened to Carl.
117 "...And Then There Were Two"
As the squad goes on Recon in the Tesca Nemerosan jungle beyond Zegema
Beach, Rico still refuses to accept T'Phai into the unit. But as a Giant
Spider-Bug abducts the Roughnecks one by one, Rico and T'Phai are left
alone and forced to work together, even as T'Phai's malfunctioning
powersuit has turned him into a true liability. In the end, they team up
to defeat the bug, rescue the unit ... and save T'Phai from hypothermia.
118 "Marauder"
After Gossard receives a minor injury, Rico is assigned a marauder suit
for the Roughneck's next mission: they're heading upriver to capture a
Brain Bug. But there's no Brain there. Instead they find a "nursery" for
the creation of new and dangerous species. Razak calls in an airstrike,
but Rico is separated from the squad as his Marauder runs out of juice.
They rescue him before the airstrike, but not before a Giant Spider Bug
impales him. It's touch and go as to whether Rico will survive.
119 "Liquid Dreams"
Rico -- hovering in a coma between life and death -- flashes back to
High School with Dizzy, Carl, Carmen and Razak, and Basic Training with
Drill Sergeant Zim. Meanwhile, the Roughnecks battle to keep Rico alive
when a monsoon knocks out all power (including his life-support) at the
Zegema Beach Hospital. In the end, the squad solves the power problem,
and Dizzy talks Rico into rejoining the land of the living ... only to
watch him bond with Carmen.
120 "Heart"
While Rico recovers from injuries at the Hospital at Zegema Beach, the
Roughnecks map strange tunnels out in the jungles of Tesca Nemerosa.
They seem to be constantly at each other's throats, and it soon becomes
clear that Rico was the "glue" that held the Squad together. Meanwhile,
Rico's hearing strange noises and is convinced that Bugs are going to
attack the Base. Dr. Sharaabi attributes this to P.T.S.S. and plans on
giving Rico a Section 8 and a complete mind-wipe. In the end, Rico
proves that Tanker Worms have been digging tunnels under the base to
facilitate a sneak attack of Control Bugs. Rico saves the day and winds
up getting a first kiss from Carmen, while a jealous Dizzy and Zander
look on, having sneaked a few kisses of their own.
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