Spaceball

"Spaceball" An episode of the Galactica 1980 series
Episode No.	Season 1, Episode 6
Writer(s)	Frank Lupo Jeff Freilich Glen A. Larson
Story by
Director	Barry Crane
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)	Jeremy Brett as Xaviar/Lieutenant Nash
Production No.	1.6
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	1980-03-30
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	survivors
Additional Info
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
The Super Scouts, Part II	Spaceball	The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I
[[IMDB:tt{{{imdb}}}|IMDb entry]]
Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
			@ BW Media
Promotional Materials
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Overview

The Super Scouts travel to a camp for underprivileged children, and help out an aging baseball star, while Troy and Dillon search for Xaviar, a crewman from Galactica who has the ability to transport through time.

Summary

Act 1

• Adama recounts the events that have lead up to the episode, mentioning the rogue Council member Xaviar, the "imminent and final Cylon attack", and the Super Scouts inability to perfectly blend in with Earth's children due to their abilities.
• On Earth, Troy and Dillon are riding their turbines to an open field. They park their bikes under a tree upon seeing a Viper (Galactica Probe 1) become visible. As they park and dismount, Dillon asks what the "sudden urgent mission" was all about, but Troy doesn't know. They leave their bikes, activating their invisibility field as they meet up with a Colonial Warrior named Lieutenant Nash.
• Nash tells them that he's brought the Viper to them so that they may carry out their mission. Troy asks him about the mission, saying that the instructions were most vague, since they were using the scrambler and that no one would be able to intercept or decode the transmission. Dash tells them that one person could: Xaviar.
• Dash informs them that Doctor Zee has confirmed Xaviar's re-entry into the present time frame.
• Dillon tells Troy that he's waited for a chance to get his hands on Xaviar; Dash replies that his chance has come. Dash informs them that their orders are sealed into the computron and the coordinates for Xaviar's locations have been programmed into the auto flight.
• Upon addressing the issue of his being stranded on Earth, Nash informs them that he's to watch over the Super Scouts while they conduct their mission.
• Troy appears to like the idea, seeing as the children will have someone to relate to who has a similar background. He tells Nash that the children are with Jamie Hamilton and can be reached through the United Broadcasting Company. Nash assures Troy to not worry and that he'll give the children "extra special care". As Troy and Dillon put on their helmets, Troy tells Nash that they'll be back in a hurry.
• As they close the canopy for launch, Nash twirls his mustache and says, "I wouldn't count on it, Captain."
• Elsewhere in the country, Colonel Jack Sydell is on the phone discussing budget problems. He yells into the phone angrily, saying that he's basically flying a desk at public relations. His secretary, an Air Force Lieutenant, arrives with a file folder, which she places on his desk. After he gets off the phone, he tells her that the consensus appears to have turned against him, for they believe he's spending too much of the taxpayers' money on tracking down UFOs. His secretary tells him that tracking down UFO's is his job, but Sydell sees it differently: he's to explain away odd occurrences as easily as possible.
• After she asks to leave, Sydell reviews the packet he's given. He sees a newspaper clipping of The Daily News that tells of the story of Dr. Donald Mortinson's capture. Seeing that Hamilton is somehow linked to the two Warriors, "whoever they are", he tells his secretary that he will be gone for a while and does not want people to know, since it is top secret.
• At the UBC building, Hamilton is taking the Super Scouts on a tour of the stages. She tells the children to be careful of the wires as they walk through. She has them promise her that they'll be on their best behavior and tells them that the tour booklets will tell them all about how television works on Earth.
• Starla asks Hamilton how long she'll be gone. Hamilton replies that she won't be gone long, but she does have a job she has to do, or she'll get fired.
• Wellington tells her not to worry and that he'll lead the tour. Much to Hamilton's surprise, he reveals that he's finished reading the tour booklet in three minutes. She tells him to keep them busy until she gets back.
• Wellington begins his "seminar" by going over the "primitive, but fascinating" television camera. He believes he can best explain it by taking it apart.
• In Mr. Brooks' office, he begins doling out assignments to his reporters. He tells Harris to take a team to cover the recall election in a California county, then after that cover the illegal alien situation down in the Garment District. Just as he explains the latter part, Hamilton enters the office and sits down quickly. He asks a reporter next to her about the "aliens", and Brooks interjects with the "illegal worker type" and "not the kind of aliens who land in flying saucers", which elicits a chuckle from the people at the table.
• Brooks goes into a human interest story on Billy Eheres, a former National League "bonus baby" whose camp for underprivileged children, Casey's Camp, is in financial trouble. He asks Chuck to cover it after Chuck covers the Mayor's office. However, Hamilton decides to take the story and talks him into giving it to her, figuring that she can bring the Super Scouts here (though she doesn't voice the fact). Hamilton gets the assignment and everyone disperses. As she also moves to leave, Mr. Brooks tells her to stay.
• As Wellington explains the operation of the camera's various electronic pieces, an employee comes across them and is enraged to see the camera all taken apart. Wellington explains that he's explaining the basic rudiments of video transmission and welcomes him to listen.
• Back in Brooks' office, Brooks is having a talk with Hamilton about her "running off" on her own and covering stories that she hasn't been assigned to, like "terrorists and flying saucers", and about her disappearances for days at a time. She replies that stories don't tell themselves from 9 to 5. He scoffs this, saying that he hasn't the time to talk about their philosophies of journalism, and encourages her to go to the camp to get its story, believing that she can't get into any trouble on that one.
• Hal, a camerman, enters the office. Hal is assigned to cover the story with Hamilton to get some pictures. Brooks fawns about Eheres, saying that he had the potential to be the greatest baseball player that ever lived, and he believes that people would be interested in hearing about him again. Hamilton says that she's right on the story, but has to make a stop. Brooks tells her that she is to go directly to the camp and Hal drags her to the door, saying that she "cannot pass go" and "cannot get 200 dollars". Brooks pleads with her to stay out of trouble, which segues into the employee barging into the room and telling her she's in a lot of trouble.
• Back in the studio, Wellington is showing how the camera is able to reproduce Starla's image via 525 lines. As he explains the camera, Hamilton, the irate employee, and Brooks enter the studio. The irate employee points the scouts out to Brooks, telling them that they've caused the trouble. Hamilton goes to Wellington and asks him what he's doing and insinuates that the Scouts ruined $80,000 camera, which Wellington adamantly denies. The distraught employee then asks where they hid the pieces to the camera. Wellington notes that they didn't hide anything. In fact, he says that he noticed that the man was so upset that they put the camera back together again. The employee then notes that "there was a number four" piece that went to the camera, which Starla (propped on a ladder) produces.
• The bewildered employee, with the number in his hand, adamantly points out "that there is no way on Earth" that the camera the scouts have reassembled is the camera 4. Brooks takes the number from the employee and places it on the camera, proving definitively that it is camera 4. Brooks asks the employee if some of his men may have been working on it. He replies that he "supposes so" and Hamilton points out the obvious, but absurd alternative: the children took it apart and were able to put it together again.
• Brooks says that he thinks they owe Hamilton and the children a big apology. Hamilton says it's all right, as mistakes happen.
• As Hamilton, Brooks and Hal walk down another part of the stage, Brooks notes that he now understands why Hamilton was gun-ho for the Eheres' story. He asks where the kids came from and she says she found them while covering the Paradise Valley pollution story, mentioning that they are orphans. Brooks believes that they may be able to tie the two stories together, mentioning that he'd like to "really see Billy Eheres' camp survive", and he grows fond of the angle of the orphans and the underprivileged kids.
• He tells Hal to take great shots of the kids, saying that he'll put it on the 6:00 news' human interest segment. Hal happily agrees, claiming that he'll make the scouts a "household item". Brooks and Hal walk off, the former droning away about the types of shots he wants, much to Hamilton's consternation.
• Troy and Dillon follow Nash's instructions and are on vector 1060. When they transfer to automatic feed, their ship slows to a halt and begins to lose power. The warning indicators do not indicate any malfunction and the computron has failed to take over their flight as programmed. Dillon voices that perhaps Zee made a mistake, but Troy quickly dismisses that possibility as Zee doesn't make mistakes.
• Troy and Dillon try to switch back to manual control. It fails. Troy postulates that the function guard mechanism, which automatically reverts control from automatic to manual should the automatic features fail to function, is malfunctioning.
• Troy notes that he should contact the Galactica to notify them of their disposition.
• On Galactica, Adama is on the bridge as they receive the transmission. When Troy notes that the "program by Doctor Zee is malfunctioning", Adama grows concerned -- as he has no idea of what they speak of. Troy tells Adama that they received their orders from Nash and took his Viper, as ordered. Adama says that's impossible, as Nash is standing right beside him.
• Dillon tells Troy that there was only one other person who could have delivered the Viper: Xaviar.
• Adama points out the obviousness of the trap that the Warriors managed to get themselves into, but all communication with the Viper is lost. Adama orders Nash to dispatch a recon probe.
• The Viper itself is in complete power shutdown and they find they only have 24 hours of life support left at normal breathing capacity.
• Adama confers with Zee, telling the prodigy that Xaviar is "totally evil" and mentions that Xaviar can change his appearance. Zee explains that such things are possible, since they've been quite successful with their own epidermal transformation and it is possible to look like anyone. Adama is confused as to what Xaviar hopes to accomplish, and all he can hope to gain is time. Zee postulates that this is what he's looking for, since he needs the Warriors out of the way to carry out his "nefarious scheme". Adama then stumbles on what Xaviar is after: the Super Scouts.
• Zee further postulates that, as Xaviar cannot return to Galactica except as a prisoner, his plan is to use the children to barter for his freedom. Adama knows that they can't send other Warriors, since Dillon and Troy were the only two who know where the children went, and they can do nothing but wait and see.

Act 2

• Hamilton, Hal and the Super Scouts arrive at Casey's Baseball Park and are met by Billy Eheres, who insists he be called Billy. Hamilton introduces the scouts as orphans, thinking it'd be nice to see his camp. He encourages the kids to mingle with the other kids and, after being asked by multiple scouts, Hamilton agrees. Hal comes from the car to protest, saying he's not ready yet, but Hamilton assures him that there's plenty of time for pictures.
• Kids are playing at a nearby baseball field. Hamilton and Eheres talk about people recognizing the importance of sports, which is why Eheres opened the camp in the first place. Hamilton asks for clarification, since she was lead to assume that it was a camp for underprivileged children. He replies that underprivileged kids play baseball as well. He mentions the team he has going to the regionals and that he's counting on them to win. Should they win, the baseball camp will get all the funding it needs from sponsors, and should they not, they'll lose the camp.
• Hal arrives and reminds Hamilton that Brooks wanted pictures of the kids. He suggests that the scouts play ball with Eheres' kids. Eheres likes the idea, seeing as the team they were supposed to scrimmage with came down with the flu. Hamilton says no, saying that they don't know baseball and, where they come from, they've hardly seen daylight. Eheres comments that he'd like to keep them around for a few weeks and Hamilton seizes on the opportunity, but Eheres mentions he has a team going to the nationals.
• Hal begins to question about the kids, but Hamilton brushes him off and follows Eheres.
• A kid named Freddy hits the ball out to the Super Scouts, who watch it roll by on the ground. The kids asks for the ball, which Starla retrieves after being asked. She picks it up and asks Wellington, who informs her that it's called a baseball and begins to discuss the history behind baseball.
• As Hamilton, Hal and Eheres approach the field, the kids in the field asks whether or not the scouts will throw it back.
• As Starla decides to throw it back, Hamilton yells at her, telling her not to. Alas, she throws the ball and it flies over the tree line — over 300 yards away. The kids in the field believe they're wiseguys. Hamilton approaches the Scouts and Starla asks her if she's done something wrong.
• Before she can answer, Hal motions her over. He points out that Starla threw the ball over a half-mile, which Hamilton tries to quickly explain away as an optical illusion. Hal comments that Starla's got the arm of Nolan Ryan and asks for the truth.
• Hamilton tells him that the child is a genetic mutation and Starla can throw the ball that far repeatedly. Hal literally drools over this, telling Hamilton to have Starla do it again. Hamilton quickly replies not to shoot yet, since she has something very carefully choreographed. She appeals to Hal's egotistical side, saying that the footage she's choreographed could earn him an Emmy Award or a Pulitzer Prize, and he agrees.
• Eheres' approaches the kids and asks them if they'd like to play ball. They agree and Eheres promises to tell them how the game is played. Hamilton tells Hal to get set up in a good position. He goes off and Hamilton talks to the scouts alone, telling them that they can't do anything to betray who they really are. Wellington clarifies this to his fellow scouts, telling them that they have to perform as "complete muscular disasters".

Act 3

• Troy and Dillon arrive in a field on their turbo-cycles.

• A Viper that has been hidden behind an invisibility screen comes into view, and out climbs Lieutenant Nash, a Colonial Warrior.

• Nash explains he has been ordered by Commander Adama to deliver the Viper to the two. Programmed into its computron are the coordinates of the last known sightings of Xaviar.

• Nash offers to look after the children until Troy and Dillon return.

• At UBC broadcasting studios, Mr. Brooks is handing out assignments. Jamie Hamilton draws the task of covering a camp for underprivileged kids run by Billy Ayers, a former baseball star. Hamilton decides to take the Super Scouts there for a day out. Brooks assigns a cameraman named Hal to assist Hamilton.

• The kids arrive at the studio, where they show off their skills by dismantling a television camera.

• A cameraman panics when he sees expensive camera in pieces and runs off to find Hamilton, but when she returns to investigate, the kids have put it all back together again.

• Meanwhile, Colonel Sydell of the Air Force is again working to try and catch Troy and Dillon.

• Arriving at the baseball camp, Hamilton and the kids have a chat with Billy Ayers, who complains that the future of his Little League operation is looking bleak.

• He manages a team scheduled for local playoffs, but all his players down with the flu. Hamilton offers up her own kids, but confesses that they don't know the game.

• A baseball rolls toward Starla, and she picks it up to throw it back to its owners. Her throw goes clean over the horizon. Hamilton warns the kids once more to make sure to hide their skills.

• Troy and Dillon are headed into space in the Viper that Nash left.

• They punch in the coordinates they were given and the engines stop functioning.

• They try to contact Galactica, but as they are explaining the situation they drift out of radio range.

• Adama dispatches a patrol to find them.

• Dillon decides to go to sleep, while Troy works on attempting to fix the ship. Then Dillon notices that their air is starting to run out.

The Polecats

• The fellow that poses as Lieutenant Nash is in fact Xaviar, who has changed his appearance using epidermal transformation.

• Hamilton is unaware of this and brings Nash (Xaviar) along to the baseball game.

• She learns that if the Polecats (which is the name chosen for the Super Scouts team) lose the game, Billy Ayers will go bust, and lose the camp to developers.

• The Super Scouts hide their powers, and soon fall behind in the game.

• Meanwhile, under the bleachers, Xaviar rings up Adama and demands amnesty, and the liberty to live wherever and whenever he chooses.

Adama next to the real Nash

• Adama does not agree, so Xaviar threatens to kill the kids. Hamilton tries to stop Xaviar, but is unsuccessful.

• Colonel Sydell, in the meantime, has come to the game, looking for Troy and Dillon.

• Hamilton coaches the kids at half-time and changes her previous instructions, ordering them to use all their skills. Her hope is that the press will swarm all over the winning team, and that will protect the kids from both Xaviar and Sydell.

• Troy and Dillon put on spacesuits and go outside the Viper to repair it. With repairs complete, they hurry back to Earth.

• The Polecats meanwhile have turned the tide in the baseball game. Using their super powers they brings the score to even, and then in the closing seconds win the game, saving Billy Ayers' baseball camp.

• Xaviar grabs Hamilton and heads off to the gym.

• Sydell spies this and confronts Xaviar, who pulls out a gun.

• Suddenly, Troy and Dillon arrive on the scene and Xaviar runs off.

• In a brief gun battle, Sydell is shot, and Troy and Dillon allow Xaviar to escape while they make sure Sydell is alright.

Starla and basketball

• In the closing sequence, Hamilton decides maybe the kids shouldn't play baseball again.

• While they are saying this, Starla picks up a basketball and sinks a 30 foot basket by throwing the ball behind her head.

Notes

• In the opening scene, Adama is seen wearing a wrist computron as well.

Analysis

• Somehow, the new Viper craft have a cockpit accessible storage space for space suits. Their presence definitively proves that pilots in the ship do not have proper protection against the elements of space, which means that the pilots are not able to eject from the craft should escape from their enemies be impossible.

Questions

• Why does Adama need to wear a wrist computron aboard the Galactica?
• How did Xaviar manage to change his voice to sound like Nash's?
• Why didn't Xaviar sabotage or remove the space suits stowed aboard the Viper?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Adama makes a log entry:

Adama: The Galactica continues to lead the Cylons away from the planet Earth. But so far, our brother Council member Xaviar, who has turned outlaw, continues to elude us. Two of our most able Warriors, Troy and Dillon, remain down on the planet Earth, seeking a place where we can send our young to prevent their destruction in what we know will be an imminent and final Cylon battle. With each day, it becomes increasingly difficult for our children to live as Earth's children. Being accustomed to a much denser gravity causes them to display super skills that are jeopardizing their ability to blend in down on Earth without detection. Still, they must try. Surely they face imminent destruction out in space.

• Jamie Hamilton tells the Super Scouts to not show off their super skills when playing baseball for the first time:

Jamie Hamilton: Now listen, I want you to promise me you won't do anything to betray who you really are.

Wellington: Which means we have to perform as complete muscular disasters.

Moonstone: Do we have to?

Hamilton: That's right. Now go out there and lose.

Guest Stars

• Patrick Stuart as Doctor Zee
• Allan Miller as Colonel Sydell
• Paul Koslo as Billy Eheres
• Bert Rosario as Hal
• Fred Holliday as Mr. Brooks
• Marla Heasley as Sydell's Secretary
• Mike Brick as Super Scout
• Nicholas Davies as Super Scout
• Ronnie Densford as Super Scout
• Mark Everett as Super Scout
• Georgi Irene as Super Scout
• Tracy Justrich as Super Scout
• Lindsay Kennedy as Super Scout
• David Larson as Super Scout
• Eric Larson as Super Scout
• Michelle Larson as Super Scout
• Jerry Supiran as Super Scout
• Eric Taslitz as Super Scout
• Richard Lynch as Xaviar (uncredited, archive footage)