The Resistance reactivates Ma'el's ship, trapping Liam, Renee and a mysterious passenger on board. Meanwhile, Zo'or and T'Than fight a duel to decide which of them will lead the Synod.

Quotable Moments

Technician: I have to go on record again saying I think this is a terrible idea. Renee: Well, again, you can't go on record. There is no record.

T'than: I do not waste my time pondering what passes for thought in the humans. One cannot be a student of inferior intellect.    Multimedia Episode trailer Season promo    Related Links Earth: Final Conflict Roddenberry Productions Tribune Entertainment Zo'or: Certainly one can. For instance, I am a student of you, T'than.

Julianus: Democracy? Renee: One person one vote. Julianus: Big mistake, but you're young.

Written by George Geiger
Directed by Ross Clyde

Michelle Nolden - T'than
Richard McMillan - Julianus

Another technician activates the lance. Something goes wrong as he cuts into the inert Taelon bio-slurry.

"Time Bomb" takes too long to get to the point.

The Taelons should have been on trial from the start of the episode. Introducing the theme of judgment in the third act relegated a potentially exciting story to the level of sub-plot.

Ma'el, Da'an, Zo'or, T'than represent the full spectrum of Taelon attitudes toward humanity. Ma'el advocated leaving Earth alone. Da'an wants to work with humanity as it exists now.

Zo'or seeks to force his will on humans, and deploys a full arsenal of manipulation toward that end. Finally, T'than follows the path of subjugation. If he can't use humans, he will gladly destroy them.

On the Resistance side, Augur, Liam, Renee and Doors play corresponding roles.

Despite his mercenary facade, Augur, like Ma'el, is primarily interested in research and knowledge for its own sake.

Liam's goals are aligned with the Taelon he is sworn to protect. Both he and Da'an are pragmatists, attempting to deal with - and occasionally change - the world as it is.

Though neither would care to admit it, Renee and Zo'or are very much alike. Both want a victory, and no means are taboo in support of those ends.

Jonathan Doors' extremism in defense of the Earth mirrors T'than's take no prisoners attitude. Either would destroy the planet to keep it from the other.

The ongoing power struggle between Zo'or and T'than cheapens Sandoval. The strength in his characterization is that even when he plays both ends against the middle, he's still got two or three hidden agendas lurking in the background.

This disappears in the face of the conflict between T'than and Zo'or. In recent episodes, Sandoval has been reduced to the level of lapdog, throwing in his lot with whichever master promises to throw him the biggest bone.

Stripped of all pretension, that may be all there ever was to him. At heart, Sandoval is most interested in amassing and preserving his own power base at any cost.

Viewers deserve to see more of the Sandoval they've come to know and loathe.

Will Zo'or and T'than complete their duel at a later date?

How will Jonathan Doors react to the loss of his prize?

Will Ma'el's message have any impact on the course of Taelon-human interaction?

Liam and Renee's escape pod didn't seem to have any independent control systems. It seems unlikely that they would be ejected from Ma'el's ship and ride out its explosion only to find themselves on a perfect trajectory back to Earth.