#028 - Alien Nation 1.22 "Green Eyes"

The journey reaches a milestone. Nick & Todd have rewatched & reviewed the season finale, and sadly the series finale, of "Alien Nation." It's called "Green Eyes" and involves purists assassinating prominent Tenctonese via poisons transmitted by smell. Don't worry; there are still five "Alien Nation" TV movies to review, and Nick & Todd have a plan for reviewing another show, but this is the bittersweet end to reviewing the weekly "Alien Nation" episodes.

- Is it good that the episode finally addresses the power dynamic between Matt & George via George's promotion to Detective 2?

- Matt & Cathy reach a milestone themselves in their will-they-won't-they relationship. Is it is a significant step forward, or is it another step back, or a little bit of both?

- What are the positives & negatives of the puppet used to represent baby Vessna?

- What do the co-hosts feel about the Kaif Balls, cloth spheres filled with pleasant-smelling substances that are then sniffed by Newcomers for a calming effect?

- Which board game is adapted to the Tenctonese language for a brief mention in this episode?

- How stubborn is George being for participating in parts of the investigation that take him to the marina, where the salt water could kill him if he fell in?

- How much did one co-host love the family's interactions with baby Vessna, including the singing of a lullaby?

- How well (or not well) does the episode handle the differences between the species when it comes to Matt & Cathy finally taking a step forward in their possible relationship?

- What advice for Matt by Zepeda was a slightly sour note for one co-host?

- Was the Melissa Etheridge song used in this episode a good fit for the sad scene after Matt & Cathy take a step back in their relationship?

- Was the immaturity & conflict between Matt & George successfully humorous as the cast intended or did one or both co-hosts find it annoying?

- What were the many frustrations with the continuing Buck & teacher arc, something even the writers & producers of the show think might have been one subplot too many?

- What issues were brought up in this week's "Yikes, Sikes!" segment?

- What are some of the stats behind the Melissa Etheridge song, "You Can Sleep While I Drive"?

- Is there any clear meaning behind the episode title "Green Eyes"?

- What did one co-host predict would have happened in a 4th or 5th season to keep the narrative fresh and to cut the budget, as some shows do in later seasons?

- What were some of the literary references in this week's episode?

- In the "Unofficial Companion" book, what did the writers, producers, and actors, have to say about this episode, particularly concerning the cliffhanger, having too many subplots, the interactions between Matt & George, and the show's cancellation by Fox?

- What was Todd's breakdown of episode grades throughout the season and his ultimate top 10 episodes?

- Do some of Nick's favorites and least-favorites line up with Todd's?

- And, what is the plan going forward?

Listen now for the answers to these and other questions as we take a look at the season finale, "Green Eyes."

And, here's the answer to that last question... We still plan to review the five "Alien Nation" TV movies, but we're going to intersperse them with our new ongoing topic...our top 20 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." For now, we've decided to return to "Alien Nation" once for every two episodes of "TNG."

Thank you for joining us on this journey of one of our favorite one-season wonders. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes via the Spotify or GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is [email protected].

Royalty-free music used in this episode came from Pixabay.com.