Gene Hackman as an Invader! This is one of the few things I knew going into the show, that Hackman would appear, but I don’t think I knew he was playing an Invader (and before I had seen the show, I can’t say I would’ve known what that meant anyway). I can say that he is probably not my favourite of the featured Invader enemies David Vincent has faced, but he’s dang good at it.
Okay, so the Invaders’ plan in this one is that they have these spores that they are experimenting with. If they work, they will be able to grow aliens in new bodies by the dozens. This addresses something that I’ve been thinking for a while: it seems like the Invaders are coming to Earth a handful at a time. It can be a struggle for them to get saucer here and when they do there’s only like five of them on there at the best of times. Take that (and the fact that David Vincent has been mowing them down when he can) and I don’t think there are a lot of the Invaders on Earth at any given time. Probably no more than a few thousand across the whole globe at any given time. That’s why these spores are so important, they could really build up their Earth-based armies.
Anyway, the spores are in a box for most of the episode. First the Invaders have . Then it gets stolen by some hot-rodders. Then, to avoid the Invaders who are after them, they stash it in some couple’s car. Then the couple gets rid of it so some kids have it. It’s a regular macguffin chase with the Hackmanvader getting frustrated by how hard it is to get his seeds back. This is the episode you’d have the Coen Brothers direct if you could.
Through all of this, of course, our hero David Vincent is on the case. He partners up with a cop named Ernie who saw the Invaders but he has a history with alcoholism that means he won’t be believed and could lose his job if he reports what he’s seen. Without getting too detailed, David Vincent uses a molotov cocktail to destroy the Hackmanvader and his seeds, so he’s got another victory and another ally. He tells Ernie not to file a report on what he’s seen, though, because he doesn’t want Ernie to lose his job. They can meet up in a year after Ernie has retired, they say, which means that I absolutely believe that in the era after the show ends David Vincent and Ernie do some alien hunts together.
After what I mentioned last time, I would be remiss if I didn’t notice that this episode also features a Black character, another cop at Ernie’s station, with more lines than the guy last episode. If this trend continues, hopefully the show can get to a point when it isn’t noteworthy every time it happens.
