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| Down the rabbit hole: Jeanne falls into an opening inside the Zor ship and makes a startling discovery. |
Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Wonderland.
Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Aug. 26, 1984. Writer: Jinzou Toriumi. Director: Yuusaku Satsukime.
Robotech: Dana in Wonderland.
Original Air Date - Robotech: May 17, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.
PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS
The Zor have re-established control of Seifriet, though only partially. He turns on the 15th, but he seems to be struggling. When he fires at them, his aim is wild. This gives the squad time to escape into the Zor ship, where they plan their next move.
They are cut off from any chance of backup, but they still have a mission. Camouflaging their mechs, they make their way into the city inside the ship, searching for a way to reach a control center. Through a series of misadventures and narrow escapes, they get a look at Zor society - one that prizes unity among its trios and that tries to purge all individual will!
PLOT - ROBOTECH:
The Robotech Masters have re-established control of Zor, though only partially. He turns on the 15th, but he seems to be struggling. When he fires at them, his aim is wild. This gives the squad time to escape into the alien ship, where they plan their next move.
They are cut off from any chance of backup, but they still have a mission. They make their way into the city inside the ship, searching for a way to reach a control center. Through a series of misadventures and narrow escapes, they get a look at this alien society - a society that has made individuality into its greatest crime!
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| Musica tries to protect Bowie from her own people. |
CHARACTERS:
This is another episode that does well at balancing the cast. Jeanne gets the most attention, of course, and there's something appropriate about a character who is independent to a fault literally falling into a center that exists to correct the "flaw" of individuality.
The other characters also get their moments, and in ways that showcase who they are. Bowie and Musica reunite, their mutual bond evident as Louis watches over them with a sort of indulgent bemusement. Charles attempts to use his charm on a trio of Zor women and quickly discovers that this was a bad idea. Andrzej remains absolutely focused on the mission, filtering out all distractions. Even Seifriet gets his moment, as he struggles against the Zor control long enough for the others to get away. No character is simply "there" - They all get something to do.
Advantage: None.
NARRATION:
Both episodes open with a recap. Robotech again adds in mention of the Invid, emphasizing that the conflict the Masters and the humans can't have a true winner with this new threat on the way. The narration extends into the opening shot, which helps to cover up the episode cutting to it in mid-pan. On the whole, both the narration and the bridge into the episode proper are well done.
Advantage: Robotech.
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| Jeanne and her squad try to blend in among the Zor. They're not very good at it. |
CUTS AND ALTERATION:
Gloire's Moons Are Again Removed: The opening shot, after the recap, is of Gloire's two moons, before a pan to Gloire and the Zor ship. Robotech cuts in after the pan starts, with only the one moon shown.
Dana Gives Combat Instructions to Angelo: In Southern Cross, Seifriet wrestles against himself while confronting Jeanne and Andrzej. After firing several wild shots, Jeanne observes that the way he's fighting is strange. In Robotech, Dana instead tells Angelo to change to "battleoid mode" to fight Zor more effectively.
Bowie Wants to Avoid Involving the Zor Civilians: While Jeanne and her team are deciding what to do next, Bowie expresses a desire to keep the civilians out of it. Robotech removes this, cutting straight from Louis advising going to the center of the ship to the next scene.
The Supervisor's Reaction to the Humans' Escape: The squad splits up after a scuffle with some guards, and the episode cuts to a Zor supervisor learning that the humans escaped. In Southern Cross, the supervisor orders that surveillance be intensified. In Robotech, the supervisor threatens punishment for the guards' incompetence. Because he's a sci-fi villain after all, and that's what villains do.
The Chamber Jeanne/Dana Falls Into: Jeanne falls from a vehicle and down a proverbial rabbit hole into a confinement area. In Southern Cross, this area is for Zor who have lost their "identicals" and who are therefore no longer part of a trio. Robotech alters this, with Dana finding herself in a center for "purging and replacement" - basically a re-education camp for clones who have been found guilty of independent thought.
Advantage: None. Though there are a few changes, they don't impact the quality of the episode.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
This is another case where both episodes apply their scores well. No moments particularly stand out, but there are also no moments where the music becomes intrusive or jarring.
Advantage: None.
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| Louis is ensnared by a Zor trap! |
OVERALL ADVANTAGE - NONE:
I can't really give one version a nod over the other. Aside from a few light trims, most of the changes made for Robotech are minor ones that were made to fit that series' continuity. Nothing is particularly disrupted by those changes, leaving the two versions on about equal footing.
OTHER MUSINGS:
Some of the animation looks a bit blocky, with basic character movements like walking or running occasionally coming across as jagged. However, this is more than made up for by the creative artwork of the ship's interior, from sterile labs to an organic almost-forest. It's a good-looking episode overall, even with those visible problems involving character movement.
Given the title Wonderland, it's unsurprising that there are a few nods to Alice. Jeanne and the others drink substances and, while disguised as Zor, they are given bio-energy to consume (Louis has to stop Jeanne from gulping it up, because Jeanne has the impulse control of a five-year-old). Jeanne even falls through a hole and finds herself in another strange setting.
The pace is rapid, taking the heroes from one misadventure to the next, but it never comes across as rushed. It also gives us a decent look at Zor society - which, for the average civilian, looks like a case of being "comfortably oppressed." The citizens don't seem to want for much, but at the same time simple individual thought (or, in Southern Cross, having the misfortune to lose an "identical") is enough for them to be summarily arrested and confined.
Between the pacing, the glimpses of the alien culture, and the strong balance of the ensemble, I'd rank this as Southern Cross's best episode thus far. By the standards of this series, I think this one merits full marks.
Overall Rating: 10/10.
Previous Episode: Bio Psycher/Mind Games
Next Episode: Crisis/Crisis Point
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