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[ 1 ] Awakening (part one)
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| Season: | 1 |
| Date Aired U.S.: | Thursday, September 20, 1979 |
| Writer(s): | Glen A. Larson and Leslie Stevens |
| Director: | Daniel Haller |
 Episode Synopsis
 "For 504 years, the body of Buck Rogers remains perfectly preserved until his ship is brought aboard the the alien flagship Draconia, on its way to Earth on a peace mission. Buck is revived by Princess Ardala and her second-in-command, Kane. Their true plan is to attack Earth and take control. Kane sends Buck on his way to Earth with a homing device hidden within Ranger 3. Locked on to the device's signal, the Draconians plan to use the path Buck takes to Earth's defense headquarters to pour through the planet's defense shield. Once back on Earth, the transmitter is discovered and the Earth Defense Directorate accuses Buck of treason. Stating that he must go back aboard the Draconia to prove his case, Buck plans to stop the aliens from launching their attack. As the man from the 20th century prepares to make his move, he is held at gunpoint by Twiki and Dr. Theopolis. Buck must prove his innocence to the two mechanoids before the attack can be launched."
 "In the year of 1987 the United States launched the last of NASA's deep space probes. On board Ranger 3 is a lone astronaut, Captain William "Buck" Rogers. However, the spaceship has moved from its planned orbit, and instead of being gone a few months, it returns to Earth five hundred years later. Captain Rogers is placed in a deep hibernation by forces beyond his control, and remains frozen at the controls until the year 2491. The ancient lost ship is found perfectly preserved by fighter craft of the Draconian Empire, who fire on Ranger 3, then tow it to their alien flagship, The Draconia. After being revived, Buck meets Princess Ardala and her ship's commander, Kane. Although Ardala is supposed to be on her way to Earth on a peace mission, in reality she is preparing to invade the planet, one that has long been the enemy of her race. They use Buck, who still thinks that his entire alien encounter is nothing but a dream, by sending him ahead to Earth to discover the location of a safe corridor through Earth's defenses. The ploy works because of a transmitter aboard Buck's ship that sends back messages with the corridor's location. Buck finally realizes that he actually has travelled into the future after meeting Col. Wilma Deering and Dr. Elias Huer, but the Earth Defense Directorate considers him to be a traitor when the transmitter is found on board Ranger 3. In an attempt to clear himself of a death sentence, Buck returns to the Draconia and pretends to join Ardala and her army, in the process learning of the plans to invade Earth. Buck decides that he must stop the attack, no matter what the odds."
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Fan Reviews |
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Average Fan Review
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Reviewer: Mark Weller
Submitted: August 11, 2002
In what was the first episode of the series, released theatrically some months previous, the viewer is introduced to the story of William "Buck" Rogers in a revamp of the classic tale. Buck is now a NASA astronaut (makes sense) and the world of the future has been devastated by nuclear war (as opposed to Prohibition-era thugs of the Buster Crabbe era). Most memorable moments? The arrival of the flagship Draconia to its bombastic orhestral overture. Least memorable moments? The hard to comprehend motivations of Wilma Deering who snaps from emotionless bureaucrat to lovesick romantic interest at light speed. Fortunately, Wilma was revamped for the series. All in all, lots of fun, as we establish the back story for the series and introduce its best villain - Princess Ardala.
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