I’m not generally one for watching a single episode, out of order, of a television series I don’t watch consistently. That being said, I’m never one for turning down a recommendation. So when my dad suggested the Halloween episode of Space: 1999, I said “sure!”

He later informed me that it wasn’t a true Halloween episode, but he assured me that “Dragon’s Domain” was spooky enough to count for my project. I must confess that I didn’t find it especially spooky, but parts were definitely kind of scary.

I did find aspects of the show a little hard to follow, despite “Dragon’s Domain” being only the eighth episode of the entire show. I guess it was enough for enough things to happen to be confusing. Still, I think I was able to follow the most important parts. Nonetheless, by the end of the episode I was left with more questions than answers, and it wasn’t all plot-related.

I recognize that ‘70s films were not necessarily known for their accuracy in physics or verisimilitude. Nonetheless, a part of me expected a little bit more, especially from the design of the monster. It was definitely alarming, and if I met such a creature in real life I would likely pass out from fear. But I didn’t understand how the monster functioned, or why. I also recognize that part of the fear factor came from not understanding, that in a very real sense that was the message of the episode, but if we’re going to make that argument then that’s kind of a terrible message, that the unknown is not only frightening but also dangerous. As a result, I feel a little disappointed. I’m not saying that Star Trek or other shows were better somehow; I’m fairly well disappointed across the board. It’s simply that the episode lacked some of the fun present in Star Trek. Space: 1999 felt more serious, and so I expected more serious science in the fiction.