The Final Countdown
Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections:
Seven Days:
Season Three:
The Final Countdown
Olga has lied to the panel about Frank's drinking, claiming that Backstep has affected his blood-alcohol levels. But a dunken Frank and Donovan send a rude e-mail by accident. The panel has Frank sent to DC for psychiatric testing. Meanwhile, North Korea has invaded an island and enforced a no-fly zone.
After an American plane is shot down, an ICBM is launched by an overzealous North Korean general. It is a test one and is confirmed by President Maxwell. Instead of retalitory strikes, the order is given to back down from Defcon 2. Unfortauntely, a software glith at a Wyoming silo leads to a launch and a nuclear holocaust occurs.
Frank is on his way to Washington, so Donovan is sent through the Backstep in a severely damaged sphere. It does not work, but Frank arrives back at Never Never Land.
Six days alter he Backsteps successfully and, while the panel does not trust him after sending the e-mail, Parker manages to get to the silo. The CO is only trying to folow his ordrers to the T, and he has never been in real combat. After being found to be in contact with the outside world against military protocols in Defcon 2 situations, he is locked up. After talking with an observing colonel who can not pull rank, they organize and mutiny.
Ramsey has, at Parker's suggestion and after Donovan's coaxing, gotten an F-117 ready and has it attack the silo. The communications officer works on retrieving the abort message while Parker and the colonel manage to disable the warhead and after a few tense minutes, the motor.
Hooter and Olga come up with a plan to confront Frank with his drinking problems, while Talmadge tells Frank that due to his actions, the still angry panel has decide dto let him off with a few days suspension. Parker goes to DC where the major in charge of the silo finds that charges against him have been dropped. The major meets up with his wife and daughter while Parker and the colonel go have a drink at an officers bar called The Silo.
Phil Morris has appeared multiple times throughout the Star Trek series and films (Miri, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, "One Small Step", etc.). He is well known for his role as Jackie Chiles on Seinfeld and as the son of Mission: Impossible's Greg Morris.
This episode was the eighteenth episode of twenty-two filmed during the third season. For a while it seemed that this would be considered the season finale, but it seems that the last four episodes of the season won't be held until the next season but will be aired during the summer as part of season three.
By Lee Jamilkowski (Ljamilkowski) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 7:02 pm: What happened to Donovan not being able to Backstep? It was a major plot point only last week. Did Hooter get the ride smoothed out enough since the events of Kansas that Donovan can really be a backup for Frank? It sure did not look that way to me.
Once again, Justina Vail is given only a minimum part. I love her conspiring with Hooter... that's a relationship I hope we see more development in next season.
By Moleculo, The Molecular Man on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 7:15 pm: lee,
From what we saw in this episode Donovan wasn't able to backstep, fact he failed miserabily. Although half the problem was the low power.
As for him getting to attempt a backstep. It was a send him or send no one kinda deal. Since they thought Frank was nuked. For that matter, why wasn't Frank nuked? He looked at least close the the explosion he saw. Wouldn't his plane have been downed by an EMP?
By Lee Jamilkowski (Ljamilkowski) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 8:52 pm: True, I did not think about that as a "Send him or send no one" deal. I guess you gotta' do what you gotta' do.
As for Frank not being fried in the explosion, he's just lucky. Or God REALLY needs Frank as a harbinger of good, just like in Revelation.
By Moleculo, The Molecular Man on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 10:16 pm: I kinda wish Donovan would have gotten to Backstep, that would have made for a great season ender.
By Lee Jamilkowski (Ljamilkowski) on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 10:57 pm: At least he actually made into the sphere and was controlling it this time. That's farther than he's ever been in terms of the real sphere as opposed to the simulator.
By Electron on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 10:17 pm: The Korean ICBM being launched is of course a Russian Proton rocket.