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| The Macross risks a desperate maneuver! |
Original Air Date - Macross: Oct. 17, 1982.
Written by: Ken'ichi Matsuzaki. Directed by: Noboru Ishiguro, Ryô Yasumura.
Original Air Date - Robotech: Mar. 6, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Directed by: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - MACROSS:
Roy rescues Hikaru and Minmay and takes them to the safety of the Macross, which is now in orbit. Meanwhile, the citizens of the island huddle in shelters, waiting for an all clear - while the privileged politicos gorge themselves on food and complain about the damage.
Though some Zentradi remain on the island, the enemy doesn't seem interested in attacking the Macross. This puzzles Misa and worries Capt. Global, who wonders why their attackers are "toying" with them.
The captain's fears are soon realized. As the Macross prepares to rendezvous with the fleet, the aliens open fire. They take care not to damage the battle fortress, but their attack devastates the Earth ships. In desperation, Global orders a risky maneuver - one that will have unforeseen consequences!
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
Roy rescues Rick and Minmei and takes them to the safety of the SDF-1, which is now in orbit. Meanwhile, the citizens of the island huddle in shelters, waiting for an all clear.
Though some Zentraedi remain on the island, the enemy doesn't seem interested in attacking the SDF-1. This puzzles Lisa and worries Capt. Gloval, who wonders why the enemy is "playing" with them.
The captain's fears are soon realized. As the SDF-1 prepares to rendezvous with the fleet, the aliens open fire. They take care not to damage the battle fortress, but their attack devastates the Earth ships. In desperation, Gloval orders a risky maneuver - one that will have unforeseen consequences!
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| The captain orders the space fold. |
CHARACTERS:
One area in which the series has impressed me thus far is with regard to Hikaru/Rick's piloting skills. He has consistently been clueless while trying to fly the Valkyries... which is exactly as it should be, given that the fighter is loaded with systems that are like nothing he's seen before. At the same time, each episode has provided at least one moment to showcase his innate ability: Boobytrap introduced him showing off at the air show; Countdown saw him performing a difficult (probably impossible) midair rescue of Minmay; and this episode shows him using only a booster thruster to navigate his ship to safety. This provides a good balance. He's a capable pilot - but since the military fighters are so unfamiliar, the best he can manage during this first battle is to keep himself and Minmay alive.
Advantage: None.
NARRATION:
This episode was clearly intended to still accommodate viewers who were "jumping on," and so the narration in both versions provides a fairly extensive recap of the story thus far. It feels a little too extensive in my opinion. Then again, I'm judging that from the perspective of being able to just watch the next episode on the disc, a luxury that wasn't available to contemporary viewers. In any case, there's no real difference in the style or quantity of the narration this time. In both versions, the narrators do the same thing in pretty much the same way.
Advantage: None.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
In my first two reviews, I've given high marks to the Robotech music. I continue to find Robotech's incidental cues to be very good, but one problem becomes clearer with each passing episode: the music is overused.
Macross allows many scenes to play out without music, which is actually quite effective, particularly in some of the moments set in outer space. Meanwhile, Robotech continues to be terrified of silence, plugging in one track or another any time the characters aren't talking. This has the opposite of the intended effect, undermining the intensity instead of enhancing it.
Advantage: Macross.
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| Hikaru and Minmay are amazed to find themselves in outer space. |
CUTS AND ALTERATIONS:
"There Was Something Strange About That Pilot": The episode opens with Roy deviating to rescue Hikaru and Minmay. In Macross, Misa remarks that there was something strange about Hikaru, and she is shocked to learn that he's actually a civilian; in Robotech, Lisa accuses Rick of being an imposter, telling Roy that she's gone over the full register of pilots and can't find a record of him. I have no idea why this change was made, as it actually undermines Lisa's character. The ship has been in almost constant combat since her first interaction with Rick. If she actually took time to go over the entire crew register during the battle, it's not a sign of efficiency - it's a sign that she has no sense of priorities!
Roy's Rescue Is Severely Abridged: The Robotech trims have a noticeable impact here, with Roy's rescue of Rick and Minmei reduced from a full sequence to just a couple of shots. The result feels rushed, and it's not the only spot...
Roy Has a Surprise for Rick: Once Roy gets them safely on the vast ship, he drives them to a docking bay where he has thoughtfully salvaged Hikaru's plane. In Macross, the drive itself is a full scene, emphasizing the scale of the ship. As they drive, Hikaru and Roy banter, with Roy unveiling his gift only as it comes into view. In Robotech, the entire scene has been cut to just a couple of shots, with Roy telling Rick, "I've got a surprise for you" the instant the scene cuts in. There is no extended drive, as we cut to them arriving at their destination. As a result, Robotech viewers don't get the same feel for just how big this ship really is.
A Class Divide in the Shelters: In Macross, the politicians are shown luxuriating in the shelters, slurping down food in comfortable chairs on a higher floor, while the civilians are left to cower below. Robotech completely removes the politician half of this scene, showing only the civilians. Yes, this trims several seconds away, but I think this cut had less to do with fitting an ad in and more to do with avoiding an openly political class critique.
Advantage: Macross.
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| The bridge crew reacts to their dilemma with appropriate professional reserve. |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE: MACROSS:
Relatively little is changed between the two versions, and I'd almost call it even... except that trims made to Robotech leave a few individual moments feeling rushed. It's a close call, but those cuts are enough for me to favor Macross, if only by a hair.
OTHER MUSINGS:
Space Fold is a good episode in either version. Most of its focus is on the main plot, but it finds time for small character beats. Also, even though the bridge crew ends up with more screen time than Hikaru/Rick, the script never loses track of him and Minmay, cutting back to them regularly both to keep them alive in the narrative and to show how the captain's orders end up affecting them. The episode also ends with a handful of memorable visuals, with the series' artwork continuing to impress.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
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Next Episode: Lynn Minmay/The Long Wait
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