- "Three years ago they came... forever altering the future of humanity."
- ―Narrator
| "Decision" | |
|---|---|
| Series Earth: Final Conflict Season 1, Episode 1 | |
| |
| Air date | October 6th, 1997 |
| Writers | Gene Roddenberry (creator) |
| Director | Allan Eastman |
| Producers | Stephen Roloff; John Calvert; Harry "Doc" Kloor |
| Starring | Kevin Kilner; Lisa Howard; Von Flores; Richard Chevolleau; David Hemblen; Leni Parker |
| Episode guide | |
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"Decision" is the pilot episode of the Canadian science fiction television series Earth: Final Conflict. The episode was directed by Allan Eastman and based on a script written by late series creator Gene Roddenberry. It first aired on Canadian Television on Monday, October 6th, 1997. The episode introduces an alien race known as the Taelons who, three years earlier, broached contact with the people of Earth and offered them access to their advanced technology. Now, after having only communicated with Earth's populace from afar, the Taelons are ready to show their face to the world.
Synopsis[]
The Past[]
Three years ago, an alien race known as the Taelons came to Earth and brokered an accord with the world's populace. The highest representatives of the Taelons, known as "Companions", became figures of great importance with each companion presiding over a different major city. The Taelons came in peace and offered the citizens of Earth the benefits of their advanced technology, terraforming the planet, providing lush, green landscapes in desolate wastelands and insuring that no child would ever go hungry. In return, the Taelons asked for nothing more than to integrate themselves with Earth culture. They believed that interacting with Earthlings would help to stimulate their own evolutionary growth. At least... that's what they said.
The Present[]
A leading industrialist named Jonathan Doors comes to a city in Ohio to publicly broker a deal with the Taelon companion Da'an, forging the first Earth/Taelon mega-corporation. A man named William Boone is assigned to lead the security team to safeguard the festivities, but quickly grows frustrated when Da'an's personal federal agent, Ronald Sandoval, undermines Boone's authority, removing many of the standard safeguards one would employ during a public diplomatic function.
Da'an addresses the assembly while Boone and his team keep an eye out for trouble. Jonathan Doors is introduced and follows Da'an's speech with his own. From behind a glass window in a building across the quad, a sniper fires a shot intended for Da'an. Doors dives in front of the bullet and takes the shot meant for the companion. The scene erupts into chaos and Boone tries his best to get a bead on the sniper. Ronald Sandoval, using a bio-weapon known as a Skrill, fires a blast towards the sniper's crows' nest. The blast completely levels the entire floor of the building. Boone circles around the side of the building and finds the would-be assassin rappelling down the side. He recognizes the man as a former Army buddy named Eddy Jordan. Before Boone can react, Jordan unhooks his cable and gets away. Boone returns to the scene of the shooting where several federal agents and technicians are examining Jonathan Doors. A physician named Doctor Julianne Belman pronounces him dead.
Talking with Kate.
Later, Da'an calls for a meeting with Boone and offers him a job on his personal security detail. Boone doesn't like the notion of relocating to Da'an's offices in Washington, D.C. and politely declines. He returns home to tell his wife Kate the news about the job offer, but she is irritated that he decided to turn it down without even consulting with her first. She forgives him, but points out that Boone is the most stubborn man she has ever known.
Kate leaves their home and begins driving down the street. A car begins following her and rear-ends her bumper several times. She speeds up to get away and runs through a red light, colliding with another vehicle. Suddenly, her car instantaneously explodes, killing her.
Following the funeral, Boone goes to a bar where he finds a woman named Lili Marquette, Da'an's personal pilot. Lili reveals that she is actually a double-agent, and is in fact working as part of a resistance group in opposition to the Taelons. Taking Boone aside, she shows him that Jonathan Doors is still alive and is secretly in charge of the operation. He confesses that faking his own death was the only way he could have his company gain access to Taelon technology, while simultaneously removing himself from the equation. Another member of the resistance group is Julianne Belman, the woman who first pronounced Jonathan dead.
They want Boone to accept Da'an's proposal and warn him that by doing so, he will be outfitted with a CVI, a Cyber Viral Implant. The implant, which is part robotic/part germ, will increase his mental acuity, but will also make him subservient to the Taelons' direction. Belman tells Boone that she can modify the implant to bypass the Taelon directive while still giving him all of the benefits that the implant provides. Convinced that the Taelons had something to do with his wife's death, Boone decides to join the group and infiltrate Da'an's inner circle.
Cast[]
Starring[]
Note: Listings marked with a (†) symbol indicate cast members who are credited in this episode, but their character does not make an appearance.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Kilner | William Boone |
| Lisa Howard | Lili Marquette |
| Von Flores | Ronald Sandoval |
| Richard Chevolleau | Marcus Deveraux † |
| David Hemblen | Jonathan Doors |
| Leni Parker | Da'an |
Guest Starring[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Arnold | Little girl |
| Majel Barrett | Julianne Belman |
| Paul Boretski | Eddy Jordan |
| John Evans | Lieutenant Bob Morovski |
| Michael Fillipowich | Judson Corr |
| Miranada Kwok | Kwai-Ling Hong |
| Monique Mojica | Mayor Ruiz |
| Lisa Ryder | Kate Boone |
Notes & Trivia[]
- This episode is included on disc one of the Earth: Final Conflict Season One DVD boxset collection.
- Although credited, Richard Chevolleau (Auger) does not appear in this episode.
- Actress Lisa Ryder is better known for playing the role of salvage pilot Beka Valentine on another Gene Roddenberry-inspired sci-fi series - Andromeda. Ryder was one of the principal characters from the series and appeared in all five seasons.
- In 1994, producer Harry Kloor became the only American to earn simultaneous P.h.D.s for physics and chemistry. [1]
- Producer Harry Kloor also wrote the screenplays for three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.
- The DVD audio commentary establishes that while the Taelons have been communicating with Earth for over three years, they have not revealed themselves to the public or landed on Earth until this episode.
Allusions[]
- The show opens with a brief narrative, which has become a trademark of Gene Roddenberry's projects. Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Andromeda all had opening narratives.
Quotes[]
- Narrator: "Three years ago they came... forever altering the future of humanity". [opening narration to every episode]
- William Boone: "With all due respect Ms. Mayor, this security is totally inadequate". [first lines from the series]
- William Boone: "Why approve me for your operation, then second-guess my expertise?"
- Da'an: "Since my young days, visions of star space have filled my awareness; dreams that one day I might grasp at the jewel of a distant world. I feel delighted to find that world so gracefully and vocally inhabited".