|
|
|
[ 19 ] Olympiad
Download Trailer
| Season: | 1 |
| Date Aired U.S.: | Thursday, February 07, 1980 |
| Writer(s): | Craig Buck |
| Director: | Larry Stewart |
 Episode Synopsis
 "Buck is invited to be a special guest at the 2492 Olympics. Shortly after arriving on Mykos, Buck is drawn into a "game" of political intrigue as an athlete from the planet Lozeria attempts to defect. However, both Wilma and Buck are unaware that the implant in Jorex's head can be made to explode!"
 "Buck becomes involved in interplanetary politics when, while a guest at the interplanetary Olympics of 2492, he and Wilma are approached by an athelete who wishes to defect. Little do they realize that the alien, Jorex from the planet Loziria, has been given an explosive implant in his head that can kill him should he try to escape while on the planet Mykos."
Guest Cast
|
 |
|
|
Alaric (Nicholas Coster)
Deputy Minister of Lozeria, reporting directly to the Satrap. Alaric controlled Jorex Leet's disharmonizer, a device implanted in all Lozerian Alphas, which controlled the subcellular atomic bonds in his brain. The Lozerians used Leet as a symbol in their political struggles. Alaric had a fondness for women, and used the chemosteroid, Exos, to persuade the women he pursued.
|
|
|
Antonias David (Anthony Davis)
Known as Mr. 28, has the fastest feet in the galaxy. David was an athelete scheduled to compete in the 2492 Interplanetary Olympic Games on Micos, in the Hypernia System.
|
|
|
Karl (Paul Mantee)
Right hand man to Prime Minister Alaric and his efforts in controlling the athelete Jorex Leet in the 2492 Interplanetary Olympic Games.
|
|
|
Jorex Leet (Barney McFadden)
Athelete and olympic gold medal winner from Lozeria in the vertical leap. Leet was used by the Lozerian government as a symbol in their political struggles. Lozerian Prime Minister Alaric controlled the disharmonizer device implated in Leet's head, making it difficult for him to defect to Earth with his companion, Lara Tissean. Leet's disharmonizer was modified, making him a human bomb if he tried to defect.
|
|
|
Satrap (John Zee)
High ranking Lozerian official who supervised Prime Minister Alaric's efforts in controlling the athelete Jorex Leet in the 2492 Interplanetary Olympic Games..
|
|
|
Lara Tissean (Judith Chapman)
Olympic Astrosled champion and companion of athelete Jorex Leet. Tissean persuaded Buck Rogers to help her with the defection of Leet at the 2492 Interplanetary Olympic Games.
|
|
|
Zogan (Paul Coufos)
Expatriate athelete from Lozeria. Zogan was asked for his advice in helping Jorex Leet defect to Earth while at the 2492 Interplanetary Olympic Games. He suggested that Prime Minister Alaric's fondness for women and Exos, a chemosteroid, might work to their advantage in some way.
|
|
Fan Reviews |
|
Average Fan Review
  
|
Reviewer: Mark Weller
Submitted: August 23, 2002
Average episode, based on a topical gimmick - 1980, when the episode was first aired, was an Olympic year. Some cool elements (the astro-sleds) and some cheezy elements (steroids that make men irresitable to females). Judith Chapman is compelling as the athlete Lara Teasian, while her boyfriend is somewhat forgettable. Interestingly, many of the guest stars here (Judith Chapman, Nicolas Coster, Paul Coufos, Barney McFadden) went on to star in various daytime soaps - one could surmise that the leap from space opera to soap opera is not a very difficult one.
|
Reviewer: Susan Kite
Submitted: May 13, 2003
I began watching "Olympiad" thinking that it was just another cash-in on a current event of the time, (the 1980 Olympic games), but I found myself really enjoying this episode.
The plot is not anything new, two Olympic athletes in love, but one from a repressed society. Being aware of the political climate of the world (Soviet states still existed, the Berlin wall was still around), when this episode was filmed makes the underlying plot even more understandable.
Buck is invited to the Galactic Olympic games to present a 20th century Olympic flag at the opening of the games. Impressed with the various athletes, he is especially interested in Jorex, the high jumper. But Jorex is forbidden to speak with outsiders and his implant is activated to discourage conversation with Buck.
Jorex's girlfriend, Lara, sees Buck's interest and enlists his aide to help Jorex defect. The Directorate offers asylum to the young lovers and Wilma flies to Micos to help Buck. Thus begins a steady series of events that don't always go smoothly. Lara and Jorex finally get away on her astro sled, but Jorex's leader activates his implant so that Jorex will be destroyed when the sound waves reach him. That begins a race against time, with Buck, Theo and Wilma working together to get the two defectors though the stargate before the 'zeta waves' can reach Jorex's implant.
The effects are cheesy by today's standards, but the plot was good, the characters appropriately threatening or sympathetic as the case may be. This one ran smoothly from beginning to end. My only question? Why did Alaric not just put a gun to his head and save the satrap a few hundred thousand credits?
|
|
|
|
|
