Zo'or takes on a human form, the better to control the human race.
(Originally aired in syndication during the week of February 21, 2000)
| Quotable Moments |
| Zo'or: I find your lack of confidence distressing, Agent Sandoval. |
Liam: Augur, you're a--Augur: A genius. So I've been told. |
Zo'or: Do not touch me again.
Deegan: Or what?Zo'or: Or I will touch you back. |
Story by Cory Tynan and Marcus Miller
Teleplay by Marcus Miller
Directed by Brenton Spencer
GUEST STARS
Frank Moore - Hubble Urick
Steve Bacic - Scott Pierce
WHAT HAPPENED
A man carries a large briefcase through a crowded Washington, D.C. concourse. After defeating the electronic security systems, he dodges into a side room and assembles a rifle.
At the Taelon embassy, Da'an meets with the press to unveil the Taelons' latest gift to the people of Earth -- an interactive database of the galaxies containing information on over 1,000 alien species.
He hopes the information will help humans to "gain a better understanding of universal commonality of life."
Meanwhile, the unknown gunman aims his weapon out the window at the embassy. He puts Liam Kincaid, then Da'an in his sights. He opens fire. (more
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ANALYSIS
"Through Your Eyes" is one of the most demented Pinocchio stories ever told. Only a character as self-absorbed as Zo'or would consider beating someone to death with a pool cue to be an accurate representation of the human condition.
Beyond that, however, this episode reveals that actor Steve Bacic, who pulled off an incredible imitation of Anita La Selva -- "Zo'or" -- is a terrific mimic.
His facial expressions and body language were almost perfect, but they paled in comparison to his voice work, which nailed La Selva's imperious, contemptuous tone of voice and vocal inflections.
The trouble with boy genii
Once again, the mystery elements of the episode fell victim to Augur, the all-purpose plot device. Finding ways to give characters important plot information is a constant challenge for writers. Unfortunately, Augur's presence in the story gives them a chance to take the easy way out.
There's nothing inherently wrong with the miracle worker character. James "Scotty" Doohan built a career by saving the day.
The trick lies in making these miracles both logically consistent and entertainingly believable. If you want viewers to willingly suspend their disbelief, you have to give them a reason to play along with the gag.
Sadly, Augur's miracles all too often fail to satisfy either condition.
That he could access every videoconference system in a several-block radius is hard enough to believe. That he could sift through those images, locate an image of the shooter in the background and enhance the image to the point where it could be used to provide a positive ID is absolutely out of the question.
Sure, Harrison Ford did it in Blade Runner, but he had the advantage of working with a single static image. Augur's accomplishment -- even with the advantage of alien technology -- is less believable by several orders of magnitude.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Will Zo'or's "degenerate" actions convince Da'an to side with T'than?
Can Renee trust Hubble Urick?
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK
Liam and Renee become trapped on a "Time Bomb" when
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