Robotech: The Sentinels.

The wedding of Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes, who have
received a copyright-safe makeover between seasons.

Also Released as: Robotech II - The Sentinels.

Original Release Date: September, 1988. Running Time: 75 minutes (original version)/69 minutes (remastered). Written and Directed by: Carl Macek. Produced by: Ahmed Agrama, Hiroshi Ōnogi.


THE PLOT:

It has been nine years since the destruction of the SDF-1 at the hands of rebel Zentraedi Khyron. Now the SDF-3, under the command of Rick Hunter, prepares to embark on the mission devised by the late Admiral Gloval: to lead the Robotech Expeditionary Force to Tirol, the home planet of the Robotech Masters.

Though this is viewed as a diplomatic mission, it includes a strong military force - one which General Anatole Leonard fears leaves the defense of Earth badly compromised (thus representing the one time in the entire saga that Anatole Leonard is ultimately proved right about something). Rick is also troubled, plagued by doubts and worries about the upcoming journey even as he prepares for his long-delayed wedding to Lisa Hayes.

Meanwhile, Tirol is already being invaded by an alien force. The Invid Regent has come in search of the Flower of Life, which was stolen by the Robotech Masters. The Masters have abandoned their home planet, leaving only helpless civilians behind. Tirolian scientist Cabell and his assistant/bodyguard, Rem, begin probing the Invid for weaknesses - but it's clear to Cabell that it's already too late to save the populace from the devastating attack!

Bree'tai warmly greets Lisa and Miriya.

CHARACTERS:

My single biggest gripe with The Sentinels is that I find the characters completely uninteresting. The returning regulars can just about skate by on "TV reunion movie" goodwill; most of them are only onscreen long enough for the brief pleasure of saying, "Oh, there's Miriya! And that's a young Dana and Bowie! And Anatole Leonard's actually right about something, but he's still a pompous idiot!"

The characters created specifically for The Sentinels don't have that advantage, and they are all established in tropey broadstrokes. Hotshot pilot Jack Baker has plenty of talent but a tendency to ignore orders - oh, and his establishing scene is lifted, some lines almost verbatim, from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Test pilot Karen Penn's scientist father is upset that she isn't following in his footstep. Jack and Karen meet exactly once, for a period that could be tallied in seconds, but they are already coded as a future couple. And why not? Their personalities are matching shades of beige.

Cabell and Rem come across a bit better, mainly because they're defined through action rather than having characters stand around reciting their character briefs. They still don't amount to much more than "wise old scientist" and "young fighter," but I'll admit to finding their scenes more interesting than those on the SFD-3.

In fairness, this "movie" only represents what would have been the first three episodes of a full season arc. Had the series been completed, any or all of them might easily have gained depth - particularly if some stronger scripts were waiting in the wings.

Nice kitty... Cabell has a close encounter with an Invid Hellcat.

BACKGROUND:

The Sentinels movie cobbles together the three fully animated episodes of what would have been Robotech's second season. Unlike the previous season, this was an original story boasting original animation, something that was affordable thanks to an association with toy company Matchbox and a dollar/yen exchange rate that made employing Japanese animators extremely affordable.

Then everything went wrong.

A brief article on Cancelled SciFi details some of the issues. Toy sales were middling, leading Matchbox to pull out. At roughly the same time, the dollar/yen exchange rate shifted from 220 yen per dollar to 160 yen, greatly raising the price of the animation.

The loss of its toy company partner and the increase in the animation cost were simply too much for Harmony Gold to afford. With only three episodes in the can, the company pulled the plug, with the episodes edited into a movie for a 1988 VHS release.


VERSIONS:

The 1988 version of The Sentinels featured flashbacks using footage from Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Harmony Gold no longer had rights by the time it made its way to disc, so the flashbacks were excised. Though there are a couple of points where it's clear that a dialogue exchange was meant to go into a flashback, this mostly isn't a loss. I do miss one moment, however, an effective visual beat during the wedding when Rick sees images of their fallen comrades.

The only other notable difference is a very slight extension to the ending, with a title card added to act as a lead-in to the then-upcoming Shadow Chronicles.

T. R. Edwards resents Rick Hunter, a thread
that would likely have become interesting.

OTHER MUSINGS:

Despite being incomplete, Robotech: The Sentinels works reasonably well on a story level. Characters are introduced and various plot threads are planted.

Though Rick's mission doesn't intersect with the Invid Regent's invasion of Tirol yet, it's evident that a confrontation will soon occur. One of Rick's officers, T. R. Edwards, is established as resenting him, and it's obvious that he will cause trouble down the line (from his character name and status as "untrustworthy officer," I'm guessing he was originally intended to be B. D. Andrews from the movie, before Cannon imposed a new ending). On Tirol, Cabell and Rem study the Invid for weaknesses, which I'm sure would have led to new developments as well.

In this way, the movie repeats something I noticed about the series: the priority is on plot, not characterization. Earlier in this review, I wrote that any of the bland and tropey characters here might have become interesting later. This is true... but it's also true that by the end of Space Fold - Episode Three of Macross - I was invested in Hikaru/Rick, Misa/Lisa, Roy, Global/Gloval, and Minmay/Minmei. The same simply isn't true of the characters here. I had to look up most of the new characters simply to remember their names!

Character art is noticeably different than in Macross. Rick and Max have grown about a foot taller and even wider than that in the shoulders, Bree'tai wears a full face helmet that makes him look less like an alien than a Viking, and every character's hair has changed. Given that the Southern Cross characters look the same, with even child Dana and Bowie drawn to resemble their Southern Cross versions, it's evident that this was done to dodge copyright issues. Too bad that the new character models are so much less expressive than the originals.

Animation is uneven, and there's a visible split by location. The scenes on the SDF-3 feel choppy and static, with only an action piece involving a failed test flight and some bits of the wedding showing any sense of style. The scenes on Tirol are altogether more dynamic. Even allowing that the Tirol scenes are more action-heavy, I came away with the distinct impression that the animators were more interested in the Tirol plot than the SDF-3 scenes.

Rick and Lisa prepare to leave Earth.

OVERALL:

Given the criticisms above, I should stress that I enjoyed The Sentinels. It's a far more watchable Robotech continuation than the theatrical movie, and there are elements that could have made for an interesting story. Beyond that, it's fun to see all three "generations" interacting in the same film.

That said, when it ends, I'm not particularly fussed that the story is incomplete. Had Macross ended with Space Fold, I would have been genuinely upset. As much as I would have liked The Sentinels to have finished its run... I'm just not left feeling that anything special was lost.

It's an OK film to watch. But my feelings are largely summed up by those two letters: "OK."


Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Movie: Robotech - The Movie
Next Movie: Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles

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2-23. Genesis/Catastrophe.

The Zor stand at the cusp of victory.

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Genesis.

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Sept. 30, 1984. Writer: Jinzou Toriumi. Director: Yasuo Hasegawa.

Robotech: Catastrophe.

Original Air Date - Robotech: May 24, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS

The 15th Squadron escapes from the Zor trap, but Seifriet isn't with them. Realizing that he intends to kill the Zor leaders, particularly Dess, Jeanne puts Andrzej in charge and then goes after him.

The Zor have become desperate, the energy depletion among their forces harming their offensive. Dess orders the abandonment of any affected Zor so that they can focus on getting to the flower. Musica senses the oncoming threat to her sisters, and she and the other members of the 15th launch a rescue mission to save them.

All the while, the battle for Gloire rages on, with the outcome for the colony's human settlers looking increasingly grim...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

The 15th Squadron escapes from the Masters' trap, but Zor isn't with them. Realizing that he intends to kill the Robotech Masters, Jeanne goes after him.

The Masters have become desperate, the energy depletion among their forces harming their offensive. The leaders order the abandonment of anyone affected so that they can focus on recovering the protoculture from Earth. Musica senses the oncoming threat to her sisters, and she and the other members of the 15th launch a rescue mission to save them.

All the while, the battle for Earth rages on, as the threat of the Invid grows ever closer...

Seifriet seeks revenge. In Robotech,
Zor's motives are a little more interesting.

CHARACTERS:

Southern Cross is sprinting to wrap up its storyline, which leaves little room for characterization. Jeanne and Seifriet get a couple of moments: Seifriet with his drive for vegneance, and Jeanne in rejecting the "eternal life" offered by the Zor flower. Claude Leon also gets a moment of dignity when he refuses to evacuate, but I'd honestly prefer he didn't. He's done nothing to warrant even a semi-heroic moment; given my druthers, I'd have him die while cowering beneath a desk with a growing brown stain on the seat of his trousers.

Robotech adds a bit more to the characterizations of Dana and Zor. With his memories restored, Zor is furious at the Masters for perverting the protoculture the original Zor had discovered, which is just a little more interesting than Seifriet living out a Charles Bronson fantasy. Robotech's writers also make use of Dana's half-Zentraedi background, with it being her alien blood that leads the Flower of Life to call to her.

Advantage: Robotech.


NARRATION:

Normally, I would give the advantage to the version without narration. This episode is the exception. Southern Cross's finale is a rushed mess. It never slows down... but that actually becomes a problem given all the information it throws out between explosions.

The Robotech narration helps to slow things down a bit, organizing what we've learned in between scenes and forcing more of a shape onto the story. In most episodes, I get annoyed when the narrator insists on taking us from one scene to the next. Here, that same tendency helps to keep things feeling focused.

Advantage: Robotech.

The Zor flower tries to tempt Jeanne. In Robotech, the
Invid Flower of Life calls out to Dana's Zentraedi blood.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

Bioroid Sluggishness vs. Corridors: The episode opens with the 15th fleeing from enemy bioroids. In Southern Cross, Louis notices that the bioroids are sluggish, a reference to the dwindling Zor energy supplies. In Robotech, Louis just says something about how the corridors all look the same.

Jeanne Puts Andrzej in Charge: Once Jeanne gets her squad safely to a potential exit, she goes back for Seifriet. Southern Cross sees her pausing to specifically put Andrzej in charge. Robotech's Dana seems to give no thought to this and just rushes off. I'm not sure this works either way, since Marie, Lt. Brown, and Nova all outrank Angelo. Still, at least Southern Cross pauses to consider the issue.

Angelo Declares, "I'm in Charge!": Because unlike Andrzej, Angelo is an idiot. As a wise man once said, "Any man who must say I am the king is no true king."

Seifriet Warns Jeanne They Are Unlikely to Survive: In Southern Cross, when Jeanne joins Seifriet, he sternly tells her not to expect to survive a confrontation with the Zor leaders. Robotech's exchange is the reverse of this: When Zor tries to warn Dana, she tells him that she intends to make sure that he survives.

Anatole Orders "No Prisoners!": Southern Cross's Claude Leon has, by this point, realized that he's engaging in a battle that's unlikely to end well. Robotech's Anatole Leonard is delusional enough to think that his sparse and outgunned forces are in any position to have to worry about taking prisoners.

Zor's Motives Run Deeper than Seifriet's: Seifriet, a human who was brainwashed by the Zor, simply wants to kill his tormenters. Zor's motivations in Robotech are more interesting (if a bit convoluted). He's a clone of the original Zor, who created the Zentraedi as soldiers and who also created protoculture. When he confronts the Masters, they are certain that he will not be willing to destroy the greatest creation of his civilization. Zor cries that the Masters are not his people, that his civilization is already dead. Though this exposition is rushed, it's still more interesting than what Southern Cross offers.

Dana's Vision: When Jeanne touches the canister holding the flower, she has a vision. The flower attempts to lure her into serving it the way the Zor do, something she angrily rejects. Robotech uses Dana's background (finally!) to improve upon this. The protoculture is now calling to her Zentraedi side when it presents her with an image of a triumverate of Danas. She rejects that, insisting that she is "a human being!" The subsequent interaction, with a little girl and two obscured figures, is transformed into Dana touching her sister's consciousness while the voices of her parents warn her of the Invid. The very literal accounting of each vision means that some atmosphere is lost - but I find that the more interesting story material makes up for it.

Zor Accuses the Masters of Misusing the Protoculture: Southern Cross's Seifriet continues pursuing revenge for his brainwashing. Robotech's Zor presents this as a matter of justice: "Your misuse of the protoculture shall not go unpunished!"

Zor Attempts to Stop the Invid Invasion: In the closing minutes of Southern Cross, Seifriet attempts to stop the destruction of Gloire's capital city and end the war. Robotech adjusts this so that Zor's goal is to destroy the protoculture so that the Invid will have no reason to invade.

Epilogue: Both versions feature a brief epilogue. Southern Cross plays its closing theme over images of the survivors with the petals of the Zor flowers falling over all of them. The visual and tonal implication is that this marks the end of the conflict. Robotech changes the context entirely. Now, a horrified Dana watches as the flowers are spread everywhere. Far from indicating peace, the narrator informs us that Zor's actions backfired, trasnforming Earth into a "fertile garden, awaiting cultivation" - the catastrophe of the Robotech episode's title.

Advantage: Robotech. Most of the changes for the worse are small, while most of the more significant changes make the story more interesting.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Southern Cross has two effective musical moments. During Jeanne's vision, the flowers sing to her, which heightens the surreal atmosphere; and the end credits song plays over the final images, seeming to promise an end to the conflict. Robotech uses its tracks well, and its "ominous" music takes the same ending images and makes them a harbinger of doom - but Robotech also completely flattens the atmosphere of the mid-episode vision, leaving me giving this category to Southern Cross

Advantage: Southern Cross.

Zor civilians, left abandoned by their leaders.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - ROBOTECH:

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross was originally intended to run almost twice as long as it did. Weak ratings, combined with circumstances that kept it from getting its own toy line, led to an early cancellation. The writers were forced to throw together an ending in a hurry... and I'm afraid it shows.

The experience of watching Southern Cross's Genesis could be summarized as: infodumps, explosions, and more infodumps. It's not necessarily hard to follow, but it feels like at least four episodes' worth of material was crammed rather artlessly into a single installment.

The Robotech episode still provides a lot of information, specifically about the origins of protoculture. But the narrator helps it to feel more organized and better paced, which makes it more enjoyable overall.

The war ends... though in Robotech, it's
made clear that a new war is on its way.

OTHER MUSINGS:

I'll save my overall thoughts on Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Robotech: The Masters for my overview. Genesis was, overall, a disappointing series finale. It's easy enough to understand why - the show was canceled, and the writers were left to scramble. But just because I understand why this final episode isn't very good, that doesn't change that it's mostly unsatisfying.

The Robotech version, Catastrophe, has a huge advantage over Southern Cross: Namely, that it isn't the finale. It's still densely packed; but since its role is as much to set up the next arc as to close out this one, it comes across as less of a jumble. Both endings feel inconclusive - but in Robotech's case, that isn't really a problem. After all, there are still 25 episodes left to go.


Overall Rating - Southern Cross: 5/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 7/10.

Southern Cross/The Masters Overview

Previous Episode: Catastrophe/The Invid Connection
Next Episode: Prelude to the Offensive/The Invid Invasion

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2-21. Nightmare/Final Nightmare.

The squad finds the alien flowers in full bloom.
In Robotech, this is a harbinger of doom.

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Nightmare.

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Sept. 16, 1984. Writer: Tadashi Terada. Director: Noriyasu Kogawa.

Robotech: Final Nightmare.

Original Air Date - Robotech: May 22, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS

Lana has discovered that Jeanne and her squad have been sheltering Zor civilian Musica, who has fled with Bowie. Lana delivers an ultimatum: Jeanne will find Musica and return her for questioning immediately.

Jeanne interprets the order to her own advantage, directing her squad to perform a slow search even though she already knows where Bowie and Musica are going. The two lovers are making their way to the Zor ruins, where the flowers that are the source of the aliens' energy have reached full bloom.

Meanwhile, Supreme Commander Claude Leon orders a final assault against the Zor - while the Zor, increasingly desperate to replenish their energy, prepare an attack of their own...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Nova has discovered that Dana and her squad have been sheltering alien civilian Musica, who has fled with Bowie. Nova delivers an ultimatum: Dana will find Musica and return her for questioning immediately.

Dana already knows where Bowie and Musica are going. The two lovers are making their way to the ruins of the SDF-1, where they first saw the Invid Flower of Life. But when they arrive, Musica is horrified to discover that the flower is in full bloom, sending out its spores that will call the Invid to Earth!

Meanwhile, the Robotech Masters, increasingly desperate to replenish their supply of protoculture, prepare an all-out assault on Earth - leaving Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard and Gen. Emerson rushing to intercept them in what seems sure to be the final battle of this war!

Bowie and Musica enjoy a moment of happiness.

CHARACTERS:

Nightmare reduces Bowie and Musica to plot devices. Musica, in particular, seems to spend the first few minutes tripping over... well, the ground. Fair enough to say that a life on a spaceship didn't exactly prepare her for running in the rain, but shouldn't there at least be some uneven terrain for her to trip over? I started to think that Bowie would legitimately make more progress by just carrying her.

There are good character moments for the rest of the cast, though. Jeanne is fiercely protective of Bowie and Musica, slow-walking her (implausibly assigned) search to give them time to get away. Andrzej, who has often argued against Jeanne's decisions, backs her up entirely. The only time he voices disapproval is when she labels Seifriet a coward, with him recognizing the mental torment Seifriet is going through (a good moment that, sadly, is completely changed for Robotech).

Gen. Emerson also gets an excellent scene, reacting nonverbally to Claude Leon's orders in a way that leaves no doubt that he sees these commands as disastrous. After the Act break, he sits in his office in the dark as he resolves to do his duty even if he doesn't think he and his troops will survive it - another scene that is, unfortunately, undermined in Robotech.

Advantage: Southern Cross.


NARRATION:

Southern Cross opens with another artless infodump that I suspect would leave any viewer who had missed key episodes even more confused than if it hadn't been there. Robotech does a much better job of organizing "the story so far."

As is often the case, Robotech ends up using too much narration in the episode itself. The wonderful scene with Emerson sitting in the dark? Robotech slathers voicd over on top of it, telling us what he's thinking when it's more interesting to interpret it from the visuals and music. Then, when the final battle begins, the narrator tells us that this battle will decide the fate of humanity... even though the rest of the episode has repeatedly emphasized that the Invid are coming and that this battle ultimately won't mean a thing.

Advantage: None. There's plenty of fault in both sets of narration.

Seifriet's memories return. Robotech's Zor recovers
some very different memories.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

Elimination of a Freeze Frame: When Southern Cross's Bowie and Musica are fleeing, there's a sustained freeze frame/pullback at the end of their first scene, a moment that makes a strong visual impression. That freeze frame has been snipped from Robotech for no readily apparent reason. Since the cut is only about two seconds, it doesn't even particularly move them toward an extra advert.

Andrzej Understands Seifriet; Angelo Is Scornful to Zor: After Jeanne tears into Seifriet, Andrzej quietly tells her that she went too far given the man's current emotional state. Robotech's Angelo is - say it with me - much, much dumber than Southern Cross's Andrzej, and he just scornfully remarks that the squad is "better off without him."

The Invid Flower Is Poisoning the Protoculture: In Southern Cross, the flower is the source of the energy the Zor need to survive. That the Zor supplies of that flower are wilting to nothing is the reason they are so desperate. In Robotech, the flower is an infestation that has destroyed the protoculture belonging to the Robotech Masters, with them worried that it may have mutated the protoculture at the ruins of the SDF-1 as well.

The Zor Blame the Humans for Starting the War: As they plan an assault on Gloire, the Zor leaders mention that if they wipe the humans out, it is the enemy's own fault for being so aggressive - a callback to the early episodes, in which every major battle was started by the humans. In Robotech, they just shrug off the potential destruction of the human race on the grounds that the humans would be just as doomed when the Invid arrive.

Bowie and Musica Are Intercut with Battle Preparation: Near the Act break, Bowie and Musica ride on the hoverbike he stole, enjoying a moment of happiness that is intercut with preparations for battle. Southern Cross plays this out over romantic piano music, with the contrast of the music and visuals making for an effective moment. Robotech tries to do something similar, minus the piano music, contrasting voice-overs of Musica and Bowie reflecting on their happiness against military chatter. This isn't a bad effort on the part of the Robotech writers, but I think the original version is stronger.

The Supreme Commander's Orders: Southern Cross's Claude Leon orders Emerson to attack the enemy from one direction while the rest of his forces attack from Gloire. Robotech's Anatole Leonard is just reacting to the movements of the Robotech Masters, hurriedly scrambling forces while ordering Emerson not to withdraw, "no matter what."

Emerson's Orders to Marie and Lt. Brown: The two versions have Gen. Emerson giving completely different instructions to Marie and Lt. Brown. In Southern Cross, he explicitly tells them that they are to fight to the last, with no retreat. In Robotech, he instead says that he expects both of them to come back alive.

Lana's Pursuit: When Jeanne discovers that Lana is following them, she orders Charles to lose her. Robotech changes this slightly, with it now Sean's idea to lose Nova, with Dana actually checking to see if he's sure he can manage that.

Musica Reacts to the Flower: In Southern Cross, Musica recognizes the flower's spores as "the same energy that we used to be bathed with," and she looks out on the sight of the flowers with wonder and a little bit of fear. In Robotech, her reaction is one of despair, as she recognizes the flower's spores mean they are "too late" and that the Invid will be coming.

Zor's Memories: The spores prompt the last of Seifriet's memories to fall into place, and he collapses as he recalls being captured and transformed by the Zor, all for the sake of finding these plants. That doesn't fit with Robotech's changed context; in the Americanized version, Zor collapses as he recalls the "original" Zor's death in an explosion (while studying protoculture, of course).

Advantage: Southern Cross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

This one's a closer call than the last two episodes. Southern Cross benefits from a couple of standout musical moments: the romantic piano music as Bowie and Musica ride toward the ruins and the ethereal alien song as they observe the flowers. Robotech does well with its music, but there's nothing in it to match those two moments.

Advantage: Southern Cross.

The final battle begins.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - SOUTHERN CROSS:

Both versions of this episode are very good. I actually quite like some of the Robotech material, notably the way the writers are using these events to set up the Invid story. There's a wonderfully ominous quality to Musica's reactions when she sees the spores and realizes that it is, indeed, too late to prevent invasion.

Other changes leave me favoring the original version. Several character interactions are simplified for Robotech, notably those involving Gen. Emerson and his lieutenants and those involving Angelo - who, as ever, is written to be dumber and more belligerent than Southern Cross's Andrzej.

It's still a close call, though, and I'd rank both versions of this episode among the series' best.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Nightmare follows on directly from the previous installment, with Bowie and Musica on the run. Its "A" plot, with Lana assigning Jeanne's squad to find them, feels almost like its own story, but it is very effectively intercut with the lead up to the final assault.

I love the way the two strands progress together. There really doesn't seem to be much plot connection until the final ten minutes, but the Southern Cross episode uses its score to bind them. Robotech attempts something similar with internal monologues and dialogue and, while it isn't as strong as the original version, it still pulls off a similar effect. In both versions, this grants significance to an "A" plot that might have otherwise seemed like another installment of "Jeanne's/Dana's antics."

There's certainly no denying the episode's momentum. Nightmare moves, and it manages several memorable moments along the way. Finally, the visuals of the ruins filled with spores and flowers are gorgeous.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Daydream/Daydreamer
Next Episode: Catastrophe/The Invid Connection

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2-20. Daydream/Daydreamer.

Bowie is determined to protect Musica.

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Daydream.

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Sept. 9, 1984. Writer: Tadashi Terada. Director: Yoshihito Hata.

Robotech: Daydreamer.

Original Air Date - Robotech: May 21, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS

The 15th prepares to return home, but they have a problem: Musica. She's a Zor civilian and, as such, would be immediately subject to interrogation. But she also saved their lives and that, combined with Bowie's feelings for her, leaves them feeling obligated to protect her.

Jeanne and Charles stage a distraction when they land, and they successfully keep Lana from finding Musica. But their behavior draws Lana's suspicions, and it isn't long before she starts investigating in earnest.

Meanwhile, Seifriet's feelings of guilt and anger lead him to reckless action...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

The 15th prepares to return home, but they have a problem: Musica. She's an enemy civilian and, as such, would be immediately subject to interrogation. But she also saved their lives and that, combined with Bowie's feelings for her, leaves them feeling obligated to protect her.

Dana and Sean stage a distraction when they land, and they successfully keep Nova from finding Musica. But their behavior draws Nova's suspicions, and it isn't long before she starts investigating in earnest.

Meanwhile, Zor's feelings of guilt and anger lead him to reckless action...

Andrzej confronts Seifriet.

CHARACTERS:

This is a character-centric episode, so there is unsurprisingly a lot of good character material.

Jeanne is at her most emotional, protecting the two lovers above all else. When Lana confronts her, she could argue for her actions on logical grounds: Claude Leon's overzealous interrogation resulted in the death of the (entirely human) bioroid pilot who was captured before Seifriet. The same happening to Musica is a legitimate worry, particularly now that Claude has unopposed control, and that could cost them a valuable resource. Instead, Jeanne insults Lana as "hard-hearted" and insists that love is more important than the war (try telling that to the families of any of the dead).

But Jeanne's ability to make intuitive leaps is also spotlighted. When Musica sings a Zor legend about flowers of light, Jeanne connects that to the flowers that she, Bowie, and Seifriet saw earlier, a jump that seems poised to lead directly to the events of the final episodes.

Musica feels guilt on two counts: abandoning her sisters, whom we see taken to the prison sector for those whose identicals have gone; and the trouble she's causing for Jeanne and the 15th. Bowie sees only the woman he loves, and he tells Musica that it's important to remember that the war will eventually end.

Seifriet also feels guilt - along with a fair bit of anger. The Zor used him as a weapon against his own people. Now that his memories are restored, he is furious at the Zor, and at Andrzej for saving him when he intended to go out in a blaze of glory. Andrzej responds by decking him and chastising him for wanting to die "a hero" when so many of their comrades have simply died namelessly in the carnage of the war.

Advantage: Southern Cross.


NARRATION:

Both recaps are poor. Southern Cross's recap is merely clunky, however, while Robotech's narrator launching into a dizzyingly complex summary of all the backstory surrounding Zor Prime. How about just sticking to what's directly relevant to the episode? The Robotech episode also seems to think that we need narration over almost every scene transition, I guess because cutting from one location to another is confusing rather than something that occurs in practically every movie or television program ever made.

Advantage: Southern Cross. 

The Zor worry about dwindling energy, while the Robotech
Masters fret about the Invid Flower of Life.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

The Fake Injury: In Southern Cross, Charles distracts Lana's attention by being carried on a stretcher for a supposedly injured ankle. Robotech makes it even sillier by having Sean's feigned injury be to his big toe. A change for the stupid, as Sean's "big toe" lie couldn't have been better calculated to draw suspicion.

The Masters and the Flower of Life: The Zor leaders in Southern Cross are concerned about their low energy levels, which are giving rise to emotions and individuality in the younger generation. They need the flower on Gloire in order to replenish that energy source. In Robotech, the plant is now "the Invid Flower of Life," which infects the protoculture the Masters need, rendering it useless. This is a significant change in context that will almost certainly lead to further changes in the remaining episodes.

Bowie's Choice of Music: The squad meets in a bar, with Bowie playing the piano to everyone else's applause. When they call for an encore, Bowie obliges. In Southern Cross, he plays a piano version of Musica's song, which stirs up emotional responses from both Musica and Seifriet. In Robotech, he just plays a piano version of Minmei's It's Me, which has no direct link to the responses of the other characters.

Andrzej and Seifriet vs. Angelo and Zor: Seifriet is angry that Andrzej saves him from a hero's death... something that only happened in Southern Cross, which means that their confrontation is heavily rewritten in Robotech. The writers actually do a decent job of this, with Zor angry not at Angelo but at himself for surviving. But it can't help but be weaker than the original, though, and it wouldn't be necessary but for an entirely senseless change made by the previous episode.

Bowie Explains Musica's Feelings to Her: Southern Cross's Bowie responds well to Musica's guilt as he reassures her that she's neither an enemy nor an inconvenience. In Robotech, however, he decides to helpfully explain her own feelings to her. This, um, doesn't come across as the sensitive, romantic gesture that I think it's intended to be.

Musica's Song: Musica sings of the flower, prompting Jeanne/Dana to make the connection between her song and the flowers she saw in the cave. In Southern Cross, Musica is singing what she believes is just a legend with no basis in reality. In Robotech, with the flower now a harbinger of the Invid, she tells Dana that she hopes that isn't the flower she saw in the ruins of the SDF-1, as that flower is "often accompanied by great evil."

Advantage: Southern Cross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Southern Cross's score is beautifully used throughout, with incidentals very restrained and with Musica's songs used in ways that are emotionally effective while also pushing the story forward. Robotech also applies its music well - but those tracks are extremely well worn by now, which blunts the effectiveness considerably.

Advantage: Southern Cross.

Lana suspects that Jeanne's squad is hiding something.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - SOUTHERN CROSS:

The Southern Cross episode is outstanding, a fine character piece that also does some important work in pushing the plot toward the finale. These virtues are also true of Robotech. However, the Americanized version suffers from changes, particularly to the excellent Andrzej/Seifriet confrontation. The corresponding Angelo/Zor argument is far less effective, which is almost entirely because of a pointless change made to the last episode.

This, combined with Robotech's ongoing problem with bad dialogue, makes the original version a considerably better viewing experience.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Daydream benefits from having the characters behave in ways that make sense for their situation. Every character gets at least something to do. Andrzej and Seifriet are furious at each other: Seifriet for being denied a hero's death that would have released him from his guilt; Andrzej at what he sees as Seifriet's disrespect to the many soldiers who have already died in this war. Bowie wants to protect Musica. Jeanne, carried away by emotion, wants to protect the lovers at least in part because they are lovers. Charles is up for a bit of scheming and mischief. The more analytical Louis sees the overall situation they've gotten themselves into and worries that they're in over their heads.

All of this is well-written. The external conflict, with Lana, is also well-structured, with her suspicions gradually building throughout. The Southern Cross version doesn't put a foot wrong. There are no battle scenes or explosions here - just very good character writing. The result may just be my favorite episode of the series.

The Robotech version is plagued by... well, Robotech dialogue. The odd clunky line doesn't hurt the action-heavy episodes, but that same issue can be lethal to character-based ones.

Dana's lines are particularly bad ("Now, you listen here!"), and she is written more two-dimensionally than Southern Cross's Jeanne is. It's still a good episode - but unlike Southern Cross, I do not consider this Robotech installment to be a great episode.


Overall Rating - Southern Cross: 10/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Crisis/Crisis Point
Next Episode: Nightmare/Final Nightmare

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2-19. Crisis/Crisis Point.

Jeanne and her squadron attempt a desperate escape!

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Crisis.

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Sept. 2, 1984. Writer: Tadashi Terada. Director: Mikio Suzuki.

Robotech: Crisis Point.

Original Air Date - Robotech: May 20, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS

Jeanne and the 15th squadron are prisoners of the Zor - but not for long. After Seifriet leaves his designated area, the Zor decide that the humans are too dangerous to be allowed to live. When Musica discovers this, she stages a daring rescue.

With Musica's help, the squad is able to rescue Seifriet, whose memories have been restored. They make their way back to their mechs. But with the Zor locking down the entire ship, Jeanne isn't sure how she's going to get her squad away and back to the safety of Gloire!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Dana and the 15th squadron are prisoners of the Robotech Masters - but not for long. After Zor leaves his designated area, the Masters decide that the humans are too dangerous to be allowed to live. When Musica discovers this, she stages a daring rescue.

With Musica's help, the squad is able to rescue Zor, whose memories of his prior life have been restored. They make their way back to their mechs. But with the Masters locking down the entire ship, Dana isn't sure how she's going to get her squad away and back to the safety of Earth!

Musica helps the humans against her own people.

CHARACTERS:

There's a scene that really captures the difference in characterization between Southern Cross's Andrzej and Robotech's Angelo. Just after escaping confinement, the squad comes to the control center of the ship. Andrzej argues that they should forego rescuing Seifriet and instead complete their mission by destroying the control center. Robotech's Angelo wants the same thing, but changes in dialogue shift the emphasis. Andrzej wants to do his duty; Angelo seems to just want to blow stuff up for the sake of it. Because while Andrzej is a soldier dedicated to duty, Angelo is mostly just an imbecile.

This is a big episode for Musica. Her feelings for Bowie have overwhelmed her, and she tells her sisters that she wishes she could be alone sometimes instead of always with them. When she learns that Bowie and his squad are to be executed, she takes action - passing a point of no return with the Zor, though (at least in Southern Cross) she still wants to save her own people as well.

Advantage: Southern Cross.


NARRATION:

After the recap, Southern Cross has an establishing shot of the aftermath of the battle before the camera moves to the Zor ship. It's an effective opening visual for the viewer to absorb with no words needed... but since Robotech doesn't do silence, the narrator talks over it, telling us about how the wreckage is "a grim reminder of the horrors of war." Yeah, thanks for that, Mr. Narrator. Where would we be if you left us to interpret visuals for ourselves?

Advantage: Southern Cross.

Seifriet has flashes of memory. So does Zor
in Robotech, but the meaning is very different.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

The Masters Talk About the Invid: While watching the humans bicker in their cell, the Zor leaders are bemused that they don't seem to realize their situation. In Robotech, the Masters talk about the Invid, discussing how their actions are saving the humans from the upcoming invasion just as much as they're saving themselves.

Zor's Memories Are of "the Protoculture Site": As Seifriet wanders in a daze, he sees flashes of memory from his time on Gloire, which Musica confirms when she finds him. In Robotech, Musica focuses on Zor remembering his visit to "the protoculture site" - the cave with the flowers - even though that scene is depicted in exactly none of these flashbacks.

Louis Explains the Plan in More Detail: The squad discovers Seifriet as his memories are being processed. Observing what's happening, Louis advises waiting until all his memories are restored before staging the rescue. This is the same in Robotech, except that Louis is far more detailed as he goes over the plan, to the point that I half-expected Spaceballs' Dark Helmet to appear and ask, "Everybody got that?"

The Alarm Becomes a Barrier Control: In Southern Cross, the control center features an alarm that can be sounded to alert the civilians to flee the ship. Robotech changes this to a "barrier control" that must be deactivated for Dana's squad to break free. This completely changes the context of Musica and Bowie running for that control. In Southern Cross, they want to save the Zor civilians; in Robotech, they're trying to make good their own escape.

Gen. Emerson's Orders: In Southern Cross, Emerson orders his forces to break off their attack in twenty more minutes. Robotech apparently decided this was too slack a deadline, tightening it to five minutes and making Dana's final escape a lot less likely than Jeanne's, which was pretty darn unlikely to start with!

Seifriet's Fate: When Seifriet announces that he'll delay the Zor and catch up, Andrzej clearly recognizes that he has no intention of doing so. As a result, while the others escape, Andrzej goes back to rescue him. Robotech's Angelo is way too dumb for that, so Zor now escapes on his own, and what had been Andrzej's mech is now explained away as Zor having brought "a change of clothes." Thus, a terrific character beat for Andrzej is tossed aside for no readily apparent reason.

Advantage: Southern Cross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

It's fair to say that many of Robotech's tracks feel overused by this point. It's still good music, so it usually isn't a problem when it's well-applied. But it feels more overused than usual in this episode, a sense that isn't helped by Robotech stuffing every non-dialogue scene with wall-to-wall music. Southern Cross allows several scenes to play without incidentals, which helps to vary the tone and increases the impact of the scenes that do rely on music.

Advantage: Southern Cross.

Zor guards apprehend Seifriet. 

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - SOUTHERN CROSS:

Southern Cross's Andrzej receives some excellent character moments, while Robotech's Angelo mainly comes across as violent and dumb. Robotech also overexplains certain plot elements, while other changes appear to have been made for no reason at all. The episode remains entertaining either way, but I definitely prefer the original version.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Crisis finishes up what has effectively been a three-parter surrounding the infiltration, exploration, and escape from the Zor mothership. Wonderland was the high point, with the characters' exploration of the alien environment being more interesting than the combat-heavy episodes on either side. Still, Crisis remains an entertaining installment. It offers choice character moments for Seifriet, Andrzej, and Musica, with action that is generally well-animated and fun to watch.

Robotech suffers from weaker characterization (as usual) and a few bizarre changes. In Robotech, this is the weakest of the three episodes, while I'd rate the Southern Cross version about even with Bio Psychers.


Overall Rating - Southern Cross: 7/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Wonderland/Dana in Wonderland
Next Episode: Daydream/Daydreamer

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2-18. Wonderland/Dana in Wonderland.

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!

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.

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.

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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