3-13. Sandstorm Playback/Sandstorm.

Ray has a vivid dream in which Aisha is kidnapped by a dragon!

Genesis Climber Mospeada: Fortress Sandstorm Playback.

Original Air Date - Genesis Climber Mospeada: Dec. 25, 1983. Writer: Sukehiro Tomita. Director: Yusaku Saotome.

Robotech: Sandstorm.

Original Air Date - Robotech: June 12, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MOSPEADA:

Now in a desert, the group takes shelter in a cave, hiding from both an Inbit patrol and a ferocious sandstorm. They manage to remain safe, but tempers are short. Aisha appears to be ill and dehydrated, and all of them are thirsty. When they observe Ray feeding Aisha water from a cactus, everyone turns on him for holding out, prompting him to head angrily into the desert to get more.

The wind immediately knocks him into a pit, where he loses consciousness. He has a dream in which he tries to protect Aisha from a dragon, with that fantasy adventure interrupted by snatches of memory about the Inbit. As he continues to fight the dragon in the dream, his subconscious - likely boosted by a psychic link to the unconscious Aisha - leads him to a revelation about the aliens' goals and motives...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

In a desert on the other side of the Invid fortress, the group takes shelter in a cave, hiding from both an enemy patrol and a ferocious sandstorm. They manage to remain safe, but tempers are short. Marlene was psychically stricken by the destruction of the fortress, and every member of the group is thirsty. When they observe Rand feeding her water from a cactus, everyone turns on him for holding out, prompting him to head angrily into the desert to get more.

The wind immediately knocks him into a pit, where he loses consciousness. Spores from the Invid Flower of Life cause him to have a vivid dream, in which he tries to protect Marlene from a dragon. This fantasy adventure keeps being interrupted by memories centered around the Invid. The spores create a psychic link to the unconscious Marlene, who is already linked with the Invid... all of which enables Rand to piece together the aliens' goals and motives...

The group hides both from the storm and from Inbit patrols.

CHARACTERS:

Stig blows up at Ray, talking about how much he dislikes civilians and snarking that "those who wouldn't sacrifice themselves complain the most." Really, Stig? You'd have been dead as early as Episode Two if not for the civilians in your midst. Robotech drops the line, and even has Scott apologize, which is an improvement... until the end, when Scott acts like an even bigger ass than Stig managed.

This is yet another episode centered around Ray, but I think Stig should have been the viewpoint character this time. The dream sees Ray acting essentially as a fantasy knight, rescuing damsel Aisha from the dragon. This doesn't fit the down-to-Earth Ray, while Stig seems far more likely to view himself in such terms. I also think it would have been more interesting to have Stig - who despises the Inbit to his core - to be the one to gain insight into their motives.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

The narration really hammers home how little Robotech trusts its audience. The narrator begins by reminding us that Marlene is an Invid "simulagent," because the kiddies can't be expected to remember the last three episodes. He then proceeds to tell us that Marlene's condition is a result of her link to the Invid, which is fairly obvious. We're even directly told that Ray is dreaming, which is repeated a couple of times in dialogue just to make sure we're following along.

To give a sliver of credit, however, I like one bit of narration: a link with The Masters arc, with Ray's dream influenced by spores from the Invid Flower of Life. This is a clever use of the larger Robotech context, and it's consistent with the effect of the spores on Dana in that arc's final episode. It doesn't make up for the rest of the narration basically insulting the viewer's intelligence, though.

Advantage: Mospeada.

Battling the dragon. Mospeada backs this
with the ballad Yellow earlier.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

Lancer Refuses to Sing: Yellow breaks the tension between Stig and Ray by singing a ballad about a hero and a maiden, which sets the stage for Ray's dream. In Robotech, Rook asks Lancer to sing, prompting him to complain that she thinks they can "switch (him) off and on like a music box." This is, at least, preferable to him singing a bit of This Is My Time to Be a Star or one of the Robotech Minmei's other "masterpieces," but it does strip one layer away from the episode.

Scott Apologizes: While Stig remains argumentative throughout the opening scene, Robotech's Scott apologizes for blowing up and says a few words about the importance of sticking together. He also invokes Admiral Hunter again, and I'm starting to agree with Rand about being sick of having Rick Hunter namedropped so regularly

Marlene Tells Rand He's Dreaming: When Ray rescues Aisha from the dragon at the start of the dream, Aisha asks him to please stop fighting with Stig. In Robotech, Marlene instead tells him that none of this is real and that he's dreaming, with him noting that she's cute and "this dream's not half bad" less than a minute later. Neither scene is better than the other, but they are quite different in their respective portrayals of Aisha/Marlene.

Voice Overs Make Clear That Rand Has to "Kiss" Marlene: In Mospeada, after Aisha is unable to drink the water Ray tries to give her, he holds it in his mouth and pushes it into hers in what's shot and framed as a kiss. Robotech decides to sidestep any potential consent issues (yes, even in the mid-'80s, kissing an unconscious woman wasn't considered a good thing) by having Rand narrate his apologies, fretting in voice over that this is the only way to get her to drink. It's ham-fisted, but it was probably necessary to clear US broadcast standards for the after-school timeslot.

Invid Exposition: Ray relives the possessed Mint scene from Lost World Fugue, with Mint talking about evolution and the need for the Inbit to find the ideal form for survival on Earth. Robotech changes this, with the Invid Regess relating how the aliens were "a simple people" until the Robotech Masters contaminated their Flower of Life. I actually kind of like this. It works in the context of the Masters' oft-referenced conflict with the Invid, and it's a nice bit of additional lore for the Robotech universe.

Annie Reminds Rand that This is a Dream: Mospeada's Ray is appalled when he sees Dream Mint riding a Mospeada, certain that she'll just crash it. This is echoed in Robotech, with Rand protesting that Annie doesn't know how to ride a Cyclone. Annie feels the need to remind him that this is a dream as she takes off. You know, in case we forgot since the last time the episode reminded us.

Chatter Is Dubbed Over the Dragon Fight: In Mospeada, the fight against the dragon is backed by a song about heroes slaying a dragon. Minus the song, Robotech dubs a bunch of dialogue over the battle, complete with some technobabble when the dragon leads them through "some kind of ion storm."

Scott Questions Rand's Loyalty (!): Ray returns to camp still in a dreamlike state, talking about the Inbit's reasons for coming to Earth. Stig replies that the Inbit takeover will come at the expense of humanity and that they have no choice but to fight, which Ray acknowledges. Robotech makes the scene much worse, with Scott responding to Rand's information by questioning his loyalty. Never mind that Rand directly saved his life when he was all but peeing himself with puppy dog excitement at meeting his childhood hero while walking into a Invid trap. Never mind that Rand was the one who figured out how the Invid were tracking them, or that Rand came up with the plan to get past the Invid fortress. Rand is recounting the enemy's motivations - fairly important information to have - and that somehow makes him disloyal. In Rand's place, my response would be... well, inappropriate to relate here.

Advantage: Mospeada.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

For most of the episode, the two scores are used about equally well. Then comes the climax, as the group battles the dragon inside the dream. In Mospeada, this is backed by a song about legendary heroes slaying a dragon. Robotech instead uses its generic "action" music, which isn't nearly as effective. Also, some of the shot choices feel a bit odd without the song lending context.

Advantage: Mospeada.

The heroes, in medieval fantasy garb.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - MOSPEADA:

I'm not a big fan of either version of this episode, but Robotech is noticeably worse than the original. The narration all but calls the viewers idiots, as do the constant reiterations that this is a dream. Mospeada also makes good use of the ballad Yellow sings near the beginning, the princess and dragon story creating the form of the dream. Without the song, Robotech is robbed of a part of the frame for the story and of some of its atmosphere.

OTHER MUSINGS:

Sandstorm Playback is not quite a clipshow, but it's clipshow adjacent, incorporating bits from Prelude to the Offensive, Showdown Concert at High Noon, Lost World Fugue, and Fortress Breakthrough Boogie. I'd suspect that this was a time and budget saver episode, except that some of the scenes with the dragon seem likely to have been more work intensive than the series' usual animation.

I'm not enthusiastic about this one, but it's not bad. It moves along at a fair clip, with some decent imagery, and some of its insights are likely to be important later. Still, it falls into the problem of most "dream" episodes, in that there really aren't any stakes. I also feel that this episode would have been better suited to Stig than to Ray. We've seen Ray make leaps about the Inbit before; to have Stig, with his deep-set hatred for them, glimpse a bit of their perspective would have been vastly more interesting.

In the end, it's a decent time filler. But given how important some of its revelations are likely to be, I wish it didn't come across as just a time filler.


Overall Rating - Mospeada: 5/10.

Overall Rating - Robotech: 4/10.

Previous Episode: Fortress Breakthrough Boogie/The Fortress
Next Episode: Mint's Wedding March/Annie's Wedding

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On BlueSky:

Follow @RandomMusings09 on BlueSky

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

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

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On BlueSky:

Follow @RandomMusings09 on BlueSky

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

2-22. Catastrophe/The Invid Connection.

The Zor city takes casualties during the battle.

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Catastrophe.

Original Air Date - Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross: Sept. 23, 1984. Writer: Jinzou Toriumi. Director: Mikio Suzuki.

Robotech: The Invid Connection.

Original Air Date - Robotech: May 23, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - SOUTHERN CROSS

The final battle has begun, with Gen. Emerson leading the assault against the Zor. He's attempting to hold out until Supreme Commander Claude Leon begins his pincer attack from Gloire - but Claude has yet to launch his assault, an inaction that may well spell disaster.

Meanwhile, in the Zor ruins, Seifriet persuades Lana not to arrest Musica, pointing out the way the Zor flowers react to her presence. He tells Lana that this chamber is the key to everything. Before they can actually do anything, however, an enemy ship descends, intending to claim the flowers to restore the Zor fleet's bio-energy.

Seifriet warns off the ship by threatening the flowers. He then demands to speak with Zor leader Dess, to negotiate an end to the conflict. But Jeanne fears that Seifriet actually intends to get revenge on his former tormenters!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

The final battle has begun, with Gen. Emerson leading the assault against the Robotech Masters. He's attempting to hold out until Supreme Commander Anatole Leonard begins his pincer attack from Earth - but Leonard has yet to launch his assault, an inaction that may well spell disaster.

Meanwhile, the 15th Squadron stands in the ruins of the SDF-1, in the midst of the protoculture factory sought first by the Zentraedi and now by the Masters... but it's too late, with the protoculture now infested with the Invid Flower of Life and expelling spores that will attract that deadly enemy.

Having regained his memories, Zor persuades Nova not to arrest Musica, whose absence from the enemy fleet will drive the enemy slowly but surely into disarray. Before they can actually do anything, however, an enemy ship descends to try to claim the protoculture, Invid flowers or no.

Zor is able to warn the ship off. He demands to speak with the Robotech Masters to negotiate an end to the conflict. But Dana fears that he actually intends to get revenge on his former tormenters!

The 15th Squadron braces itself for conflict
with aliens and humans alike.

CHARACTERS:

Seifriet knows full well that Jeanne tends to be led by her emotions. He tries to play on this when he says that all of his actions were to help Musica. But he forgets that Jeanne is also intuitive. She sees right through him, all too accurately predicting that his true goal is vengeance. She has empathy for his emotional turmoil, but her responsibility is to look after Musica and her squad.

In the "B" plot, Claude Leon informs Emerson about Bowie going AWOL with an alien prisoner. Emerson's response is more soldier than father - that Bowie will need to face punishment and take responsibility. Even Claude seems surprised; the way the scene plays out, it seems as if he meant to mitigate consequences.

The Emerson/Bowie material would work a lot better if the two characters had more interaction prior to this (that's true of their relationship across the entire series, actually), but it just about works in Southern Cross. Robotech's bizarre decision to make Emerson into Bowie's godfather rather than his father mutes much of the emotion. When Robotech's Bowie calls out to Emerson, "My friend!" - Well, I'll just say it's unintentionally a bit comical.

I'm still wondering why this change was made. My immediate instinct is that someone got nervous about a white father with a black son... except that "The Macross Saga" already featured one interracial romance between Roy and Claudia; "The Masters" features another between Bowie and Musica that is also inter-species. Why would an interracial father-and-son be a dealbreaker? And if that wasn't the reason, then what was? The only result of this change has been to generally weaken a thread that was already frayed due to the lack of screen time the two characters shared!

Ah, well.

Advantage: Southern Cross.


NARRATION:

Another clumsy recap for Southern Cross, though at this point I'm wondering if some of the problem stems from translation. There is a definite senseof the not-quite-there "jumble" that can come from an overly literal translation.

Robotech actually does pretty well by its voice over. The recap actually benefits from the addition of the Invid subplot, and the narration is reasonably restrained across the rest of the episode.

Advantage: Robotech.

Gen. Emerson negotiates. Southern Cross's Zor are more
convincing as negotiators than the Robotech Masters.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

Zor Gives a Different Reason for Musica's Importance: Southern Cross's Seifriet gets a wavering Lana to give up on arresting Musica when he points out that the Zor flowers react to her proximity. Since Lana can observe this herself, it's reasonable for her to believe him. Robotech's Zor tells Nova that Musica's playing keeps the clones under the Masters' control, a control that will slip in Musica's absence. This isn't something Nova can verify, and it wouldn't change the advantages to arresting and questioning her. This doesn't make a nonsense out of Nova dropping the arrest, as she's already wavering, but it does weaken that decision to only the emotional appeals.

Emerson and the Supreme Commander: When Claude Leon informs Emerson that Bowie has gone AWOL, he seems to be trying to extend an olive branch, all but offering to mitigate the consequences. He's genuinely surprised when Emerson says that Bowie should face punishment. In Robotech, Emerson immediately protests that Bowie must have been brainwashed, and Anatole Leonard doesn't show the slightest sign of sympathy.

The Ultimatum: The Zor contact Claude to give him a deadline to abandon Gloire, their homeworld, in 48 hours. The substance of the scene is the same in Robotech, but the context is very different: Since the planet is Earth in Robotech, it's now a threat to destroy humanity's home world rather than an ultimatum to abandon the aliens' own home planet.

The Masters Are Less Cordial to Emerson than the Zor: The Zor try to convince Gen. Emerson that they wish to negotiate for a peaceful settlement. The Masters in Robotech do the same - but they drop the act very quickly, sneering about how "stupid" the humans are. Oh, and somehow Emerson and Marie are aware of the Invid, even though they were already off planet by the time any of the humans heard that name.

Zor's Ending Words: At the end of Southern Cross, Seifriet separates from the 15th Squadron in order to chase after the Zor leaders, specifically Dess, vowing to destroy them. Robotech changes Zor Prime's final words, with him now declaring that the Robotech Masters will obey him. This significantly muddles the nature of his personal agenda.

Advantage: Southern Cross.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

I don't have much to say here. Both shows apply their incidentals perfectly adequately, and no musical moments really stand out to me.

Advantage: None.

Civilians desperately evacuate the city as the battle draws near.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - SOUTHERN CROSS:

The difference in this case is slight. Southern Cross ends up benefiting from better characterizations for Jeanne and Seifriet, and for a slightly better (well, less weak) Emerson/Bowie strand.


OTHER MUSINGS:

The momentum from the previous episode continues. This episode features big action sequences and major plot turns. Even the Plot Armor of the named characters starts to falter, as we get the first major character death just in time to raise the stakes for the finale.

This is principally a plot-based episode. The characterizations still work - but except for Jeanne, Seifriet, and Emerson, the rest only get moments around the edges. The characters are serving the plot this time, whereas the previous two episodes had much of the plot arising from the characters acting according to their natures.

Another good episode, in any case. Fingers crossed that the finale manages to land!


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Nightmare/Final Nightmare
Next Episode: Genesis/Catastrophe

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On BlueSky:

Follow @RandomMusings09 on BlueSky

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

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

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On BlueSky:

Follow @RandomMusings09 on BlueSky

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

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

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On BlueSky:

Follow @RandomMusings09 on BlueSky

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads