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| Jeanne wants a new dress. A major military operation ensues. |
Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross - Trouble City.
Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: May 13, 1984. Writer: Jinzô Toriumi. Director: Susumu Nagao.
Robotech - Danger Zone
Original Air Date - Robotech: Apr. 30, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS
The Zor mothership continues to hover overhead. Claude Leon, the supreme general of the Southern Cross, orders an attack over Gen. Emerson's objections - an attack that results in devastating losses to the colony, with no damage done to the Zor.
This provides Jeanne with an opportunity. She wants to buy a very specific expensive dress, not least because both Marie and Lana also want it. There's one problem: Jeanne is broke. She'll need to distinguish herself to be able to draw the needed advance on her salary.
Fortunately, Louis Ducasse - one of her subordinates - is an engineering genius. Louis has a theory that the alien ship's drive system might be vulnerable to a targeted attack, provided an assault unit can get in close. The scientists agree, and with a bit of persuasion from Jeanne, Gen. Emerson allows her to lead a second, targeted attack: For the honor of her squad, for the security of Gloire, and - most importantly - for the right to buy that dress and rub Marie's and Lana's noses in it!
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
The Robotech Masters' mothership continues to hover overhead. Anatole Leonard, the supreme commander of the Army of the Southern Cross, orders an attack over Gen. Emerson's objections - an attack that results in devastating losses to the colony, with no damage done to the enemy.
Fortunately, Louis - one of Dana Sterling's subordinates - is an engineering genius. Louis has a theory that the alien ship's drive system might be vulnerable to a targeted attack, provided an assault unit can get in close. The scientists agree, and with a bit of persuasion from Dana, Gen. Emerson allows her to lead a second, targeted attack!
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| Claude Leon, supreme general of the Southern Cross, looks like Lex Luthor and has the personality to match. |
CHARACTERS:
This episode continues the ongoing difference in characterization between Jeanne and Dana. Carefree, frivolous Jeanne is motivated to perform a heroic action so that she can buy a dress - specifically, a dress that she had rejected until Marie and Lana wanted it. By contrast, Dana acts solely out of sense of duty.
We get some focus on Louis, who has thus far been "present" but hasn't actually done much. Here, we learn that he's a bit of a tech genius... something that probably should have been introduced before this point, as it feels awfully convenient that he just happens to have this extraordinary knowledge base at the exact moment that it's needed.
Trouble City also introduces Claude Leon, Gen. Emerson's superior. He looks like Lex Luthor and has the personality to match, only minus the brains. He's written as less directly antagonistic in Robotech, though he's still the commander who forces a disastrously bad call in either version.
Advantage: None.
NARRATION:
Once the Robotech episode gets past its extended recap, the remaining narration is fairly restrained. As a result, the bulk of the voice over is restricted to the equivalent of a "Previously on..." segment.
Advantage: None
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| Marie and Lana make faces at the camera. Robotech removes their motivation, making an already bad moment incoherent. |
CUTS AND ALTERATION:
Robotech Opens with a Recap: The Robotech episode spends almost two minutes summarizing the events of the previous episode, even though those events are only briefly mentioned here. I think this can safely be put down to padding the runtime to make up for one big cut...
Jeanne, Marie, and Lana Shop for a Dress - but Only in Southern Cross. This three-minute scene sets up Jeanne's personal quest, as she shops for and rejects a dress - only to decide that she must have it after Marie and Lana express interest in it. I agree with this cut; all of this works with Southern Cross's Jeanne, but not so much for Robotech's Dana's. My only complaint is that Robotech should have also cut the ending scene, as it's a callback to a subplot that's been otherwise removed.
Anatole Leonard Is Conciliatory to Emerson: Southern Cross's Claude Leon is scornful of Emerson. He pushes for the ill-fated offensive, then denounces its inevitable failure as pitiful before stalking out. Robotech's Anatole half-apologizes to Emerson for overruling him, stating the assault "was the only way." When it goes spectacularly wrong, he seems suitably shocked.
Scientists Confirm the Enemy Are Not Miniaturized Zentraedi: Both episodes feature a scene with scientists studying an alien bioroid. In Southern Cross, the main finding is that the fighter is controlled by a human pilot; in Robotech, the report confirms that the pilot is not a miniaturized Zentraedi. Given that "The Macross Saga" told us that the Zentraedi were genetically identical to humans, I'm not sure how they determine this. That aside, it's a good choice to use the "Macross Saga" backstory; after the Zentraedi, it would seem strange for the humans to be shocked at the existence of human-looking aliens.
A Lot More Technobabble: The Southern Cross episode establishes that the alien ship uses a particle reactor to move, and that it can be disabled by disturbing the ship's balance - and it's expressed as straightforwardly as that. The Robotech episode inserts extra Technobabble about space folding and simultaneous implosions and explosions. Given that it ends up with the same result, I'm not sure why.
Bowie's Relationship to Emerson: As the last episode revealed, Southern Cross's Emerson is Bowie's father. Robotech changes this so that Emerson is a friend of Bowie's father who agreed to look out for the young man... which basically makes their relationship the same, only less direct. Why? The most likely response is that it was the '80s and they didn't want a mixed-race father-and-son, but... Well, the show had already featured an interracial romance in "The Macross Saga," with Claudia and Roy, and that didn't stop Robotech from being a hit, so I have no clue why this was changed.
Dana Does Not Tear Her New Dress: Jeanne buys the dress, much to the annoyance of Marie and Lana. As she gets onto her bike, she catches the hem on a fire hydrant and rips it as she zips away, prompting Marie and Lana to laugh and make faces at the camera. I already find this bad, even borderline embarrassing. Robotech manages to make a terrible scene even worse by making only one change: unlike Jeanne, Dana doesn't tear her dress. As a result, there's no reason for Marie and Nova's reaction. It's a lame and unfunny gag either way... but at least the Southern Cross version is coherent.
Advantage: Southern Cross.
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| Robotech's music makes the big action climax feel rushed. |
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
The big action climax provides another look at the impact of music on a scene, but this time it's not in Robotech's favor. As usual, Robotech has left the action set piece untouched. However, the music is changed to a succession of almost all of Robotech's action tracks, one after another. Rather than energizing the scene, as has been the case in some previous episodes, this time it utterly ruins it.
Southern Cross allows several moments to play with either subdued music that most viewers won't consciously register or with no music at all. Robotech, afraid of silence as always, never lets the music stop. Southern Cross brings in music to emphasize moments of tension. Robotech just lines up a series of fast-paced tracks. This destroys any emphasis on one moment over another.
Even worse, that succession of fast tempo music makes the action feel rushed. I actually went back and checked the timing of the sequence in both versions afterward. There's no real difference... but while it plays cleanly and easy-to-follow in Southern Cross, it feels like an almost senseless jumble of activity in Robotech. And the reason why is all down to the music.
Advantage: Southern Cross
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| Human scientists study the Zor bioroid. |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE - SOUTHERN CROSS:
The Southern Cross version is better than Robotech for two main reasons: The light-hearted early scenes in town, which have been greatly reduced in Robotech, create a contrast with the more serious tone of the rest of the episode; and, more importantly, the climactic action piece works in Southern Cross and falls badly flat in Robotech.
OTHER MUSINGS:
I'll start with the good elements. The introduction of Claude Leon/Anatole Leonard will almost certainly create plot complications moving forward, and the show is at the point where it needs something more than "brave squad of misfits battles formidable aliens" to maintain interest. The episode moves quickly. It also does the best job yet of juggling the ensemble, finding good moments for not only Jeanne, but also Louis, Charles, Andrzej, and Bowie. It's generally watchable, even if it isn't good.
That aside, this episode is extremely dumb. How do Jeanne and her squadron break through the Zor defenses in the first place? These same defenses effortlessly wiped out the forces sent by Emerson and Leon, none of which came close to even scratching the paint of the alien ship! A better script might show the squad analyzing the data from the battle and discovering a gap that a small force can exploit... but no. They get through simply because, unlike the nameless pilots in the first half, they have Plot Armor!
Also, the battle is much too easy. Jeanne's squad is literally on enemy territory. This should be a grueling fight to reach the Death Star vent... er, drive system. Nope. They blast a few bioroids as they all but stroll to the Designated Weak Spot in order to Blow It Up Real Good. Given that the vulnerability has to do with throwing the ship off balance, it can be said that the Zor literally roll over and die for Jeanne and her squad.
I labeled the previous episode the best one so far in Southern Cross. Well, this one earns the opposite, less desirable title, as easily my least favorite Southern Cross episode so far - and impressively, the Robotech version is even worse!
Overall Rating - Southern Cross: 4/10.
Overall Rating - Robotech: 3/10.
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Next Episode: Prelude/Prelude to Battle
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