V: The
Series Episode Guide
"The
Conversion"
Original Airdate: January
04, 1985
Plot Summary
~ Detailed Review ~
Freedom Network
~ Bloopers and Nitpicks
Memorable
Moments ~ Cast and Production
Plot Summary
- The
Leader's Special Envoy, Charles, uses a new conversion process to brainwash
Ham into killing Mike Donovan.
Detailed
Review -
-
Kyle, Ham, and another Resistance fighter raid
a Visitor convoy without backup: Ham has heard about a new converter that
the Resistance must destroy. Ham destroys a truck with a missile
launcher, and they attack the truck only to be surrounded by Visitor troops
- it was a trap! The third freedom fighter is killed, and Ham and
Kyle are taken prisoner.
-
Juliet and Mike ask Willie to try to find out
what is happening - the Resistance has tapped into messages from the Visitor
Legation. Elizabeth offers to give herself to the Visitors in exchange
for Ham and Kyle, but this plan is vetoed by Robin and Julie.
-
Kyle and Ham are brought to the L.A. Mothership.
Diana threatens to kill them both, but is interrupted by an announcement
that Charles' ship is arriving. The women on the ship are thrilled
to hear of his arrival. Diana meets Charles and is shocked
to discover that Lydia accompanies him - Diana covers her actions by telling
Lydia that the attack on her shuttle was a Fifth Column plot. Lydia
assures Diana that she suspected such an attack, sent a drone in her place,
and left for the home world on a different shuttle.
-
Charles informs Diana that the Leader is unhappy
with the lack of progress in the war, and that Charles will stay
on Earth until the war has ended. Charles assumes command, with Lydia
as his adjutant, and Diana is given her old post as Chief of Security.
Charles assigns Lydia the task of installing a new conversion microchip
at the Legation. Diana, knowing that transmission to and from the
Legation are monitored, sends a message to the Legation announcing Lydia's
arrival.
-
Willie intercepts the message; Mike, Elias and
Julie commandeer Lydia's limo and take her hostage, where she unwittingly
reveals that Ham is being taken to the Legation.
-
Charles uses his new microchip to convert Ham
- using images of Ham's wife and daughter, he implants a dream in which
Mike Donovan is working the controls at a Visitor "processing plant".
In one dream, Ham sees Mike kissing his wife and daughter. In another,
Mike works the controls while Ham's wife and daughter go by on the conveyer
belt. During the process, Charles plants the key words in Ham's
subconscious: "There's my son now". When Ham hears the sound made
by Charles' ring and hears the keywords, he will be conditioned to kill
Mike Donovan. Charles plans to place Ham back into the Resistance.
-
Charles and Diana meet with Nathan and Mr. Chiang.
Charles suggests a prisoner exchange to be arranged by Nathan. When
Nathan protests, Diana informs him that they have captured Kyle, and wish
to trade him for Lydia. Nathan wants proof, and insists that no harm
must come to Kyle.
-
The Resistance attempt to plan a rescue attempt.
When they hear that Ham has been taken to Science Frontiers, they head
to the centre.
-
On board the Mothership, Diana attempts to seduce
Kyle and is rebuffed. She neglects to place back into his gravity
chair when she leaves the room, and Kyle manages to overpower the guard
and escape.
-
Nathan gets his proof at Science Frontiers - he
reads the keywords and watches astonished as Ham shoots out a picture of
Mike. Nathan agrees to set up the hostage exchange.
-
Outside, the Visitors have put their rescue plan
into operation. Willie, dressed as a mouse, sets up a roadside stand
offering "Free rodents. All you can eat." When the guards taking
Ham back to the Legation stop for a snack, Willie pulls out a gun and Mike
attacks and knocks out the guards. They are then able to liberate
Ham from the van.
-
Diana orders the Mothership searched "quietly"
when she is told that Kyle has escaped. Kyle manages to jump
a guard and steals his uniform. Diana informs Charles that Ham has
been taken by the Resistance, but fails to mention Kyle's escape - she
tries to sway Charles' opinion of Lydia, telling him that she may have
broken to the Resistance.
-
When Ham is brought back to Resistance headquarters,
Elizabeth senses that something is wrong with him. The other freedom
fighters put his condition down to his ordeal. A Resistance
member brings them a flyer being distributed throughout the city which
tells of a live television broadcast for that evening.
-
Kyle, hiding from a Visitor patrol, takes refuge
in a Visitor gym. Two Visitors in their natural form are sunning
under heat lamps. Kyle has just taken a mouse from a serving bowl
when Diana arrives to recapture him. He is taken to the bridge, where
Charles initiates the idea of the live prisoner exchange during the broadcast.
Kyle is given the chance to talk, and pledges his love to Elizabeth.
-
The Resistance realize that the Visitors will
be setting a trap, and plan the exchange to be held at an abandoned sports
arena. Mike organizes his own camera crew so that the world will
be able to see what actually transpires there, not just what the Visitors
want to be seen.
-
Ham has flashbacks to his conversion but thinks
that he can deal with it. Chris tries to help him, but Ham refuses
to reveal what he remembers. Ham will only admit to Chris that he
is "killing mad" and that the Visitors messed up his mind.
-
The Resistance arrive at the arena early to set
up their back up plan. Explosives are set in the bleachers to be
used for a diversion if necessary, and to cover their escape route through
an underground tunnel system. Ham continues having flashbacks but
tries to shake it off. When the Visitors, Nathan, and Mr. Chiang
arrive, Nathan takes Kyle aside and attempts to warn him of upcoming danger.
Nathan attempts to reconcile with Kyle.
-
With the cameras rolling, Nathan announces the
beginning of the prisoner exchange. Charles sets his ring, and Ham
pulls his gun. Nathan uses the keywords: "There's my son now" ...
but Elizabeth senses what is happening, and uses her powers to knock a
light stand into Ham. Ham fires at Mike, but the bullet goes awry
and hits Nathan instead. As pandemonium ensues, Kyle runs to
Nathan while the Visitors and Resistance members open fire on each other.
Kyle is dragged from Nathan's body while Juliet checks him for a pulse.
Mike covers Julie's escape, as the rest of the Resistance set off the explosives
and retreat through the tunnels. Lydia escapes into Charles' limo,
and Charles, Lydia, and Diana head back to the Legation.
Freedom
Network Medal of Valour - The
Freedom Network Medal of Valour is awarded to Dixie Reilly, a high school
science teacher who used his home computer to hack into the Visitor Security
system and used the information that he learned to prevent a sneak attack
on Memphis, Tennessee.
Bloopers
and Nitpicks -
-
In this episode, Diana tells Charles that Ham
was married in Cambodia. In the previous episode, Chris tells
Mike that Ham was married in Vietnam.
-
The Resistance set off explosives in the tunnels
as they make their escape from the sports arena. A Visitor
who is on the upper level of the arena is injured by a blast from the
tunnels.
Memorable
Moments -
-
(Diana decides what to do with her prisoners,
Ham and Kyle)
Diana:
I don't play games. Incinerate the tough
one... we'll dine on the tender.
-
(Willie, dressed as a mouse, wonders what his
parents would think of him now)
Willie:
She was a bit of a chameleon, old mom.
Juliet:
You mean 'comedian'.
Willie:
No, 'chameleon'. It's in my blood.
-
(Diana attempts to seduce Kyle)
Diana:
Why don't you relax, Kyle. I can spare you the pain that Ham Tyler
is suffering.
Kyle:
Selling out's my father's game, not mine.
Diana:
That's a shame. I find you very attractive. I've learned much
from your mating rituals. I hope
you've been comfortable in your gravity chair. And I've found
a few secret pleasures that you might find... interesting.
Kyle:
I'll bet.
Diana:
You have no idea how appreciative I can be, with those who co-operate.
Kyle:
I think I prefer the chair.
-
(Kyle's live broadcast)
Kyle:
Look, they haven't given me a whole lotta
time here... I just wanted you to know that I'm OK ... Elizabeth,
if you're watching, I just want you to know
that I love you. And no matter what happens, nothing will ever
ever change that.
Cast
Diana: |
Jane Badler |
Lydia: |
June Chadwick |
Elizabeth Maxwell: |
Jennifer Cooke |
Willie: |
Robert Englund |
Juliet Parrish: |
Faye Grant |
Ham Tyler: |
Michael Ironside |
Mike Donovan: |
Marc Singer |
Nathan Bates: |
Lane Smith |
Robin Maxwell: |
Blair Tefkin |
Elias Taylor: |
Michael Wright |
Kyle Bates: |
Jeff Yagher |
Guest Stars
Mr. Chiang: |
Aki Aleong |
Chris: |
Mickey Jones |
Charles: |
Duncan Regehr |
Howard K. Smith: |
Howard K. Smith |
Additional Guest Stars:
|
Marin Mazzie, Vince McKewin, Catherine Nguyen,
Syl Farrell, Dominic Hoffman, John C. Mooney, Nicole Rowe, Kurt
Smildsin |
Production
Executive Producer: |
Daniel H. Blatt |
Executive Producer: |
Robert Singer |
Supervising Producer: |
Garner Simmons |
Producer: |
David Latt |
Creator: |
Kenneth Johnson |
Writer: |
Brian Taggert |
Director: |
Gilbert Shilton |
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