User Reviews

As Burke, Virdon and Galen continue to flee from Urko's forces they enter a village where they learn of a nearby abandoned city (San Francisco) where they just might find what they need to read the computer disc. They head there but soon Urko and his men catch up with them. Urko manages to catch Burke just as an earthquake strikes. The two of them fall into a hole that has opening in the ground just before rubble films it in again. Galen witnesses this and assumes they must be dead; Virdon isn't so sure. It turns out neither of them has been hurt; they fell through to a surprisingly well preserved subway station. Here Burke must persuade Urko that they must work together; to do this he 'admits' that technology they see was part of an earlier ape lead society… a lie somewhat spoilt by an old poster advertising a zoo which features a child offering a banana to a cages gorilla. While they work below ground Virdon and Galen try to persuade the other apes to help remove the rubble above and secure a promise that they will be allowed to go free if Urko survives.

This was a fairly gripping episode if you overlook some details; most notably how is the station so well lit and how did the city of San Francisco survive for hundreds of years in an earthquake zone without anybody to maintain it? The scenes between Burke and Urko were gripping with both James Naughton and Mark Lenard putting in solid performances. The morals about working together and keeping ones word are a little heavy-handed but not enough to be annoying.

Burke (solid James Naughton) and General Urko (Mark Lenard in fine fierce form) are forced to work together after they are buried alive underground in an ancient San Francisco subway tunnel because of an earthquake. Meanwhile, Virdon (the equally sturdy Ron Harper) and Galen (the always fine Roddy McDowall) try to figure out a way to free Burke before it's too late. Director Arnold Laven, working from a gripping script by Edward J. Lasko, relates the absorbing story at a swift pace, generates a good deal of tension, and stages the thrilling action with aplomb. Naughton and Lenard play off each other well as they put their differences aside and cooperate in order to survive, plus Burke has to do his best to hide the truth from Urko about how humans ruled over apes in the past. Top acting props easily go to Norman Alden for his stellar portrayal of Urko's suspicious, yet honorable chief lieutenant Zako. Moreover, there's a lovely appearance by the fetching Cindy Eilbacher as perky teenager Lisa and John Milford contributes a neat turn as the helpful Miller. Gerald Perry Finnerman's cinematography offers plenty of nicely evocative shots of the desolate city streets. Richard LaSalle's spirited score hits the stirring spot. A bang-up show.

Yes upon an earth quake's resulting in Burke's and Urko's only hope for survival that they must work together.

Earlier what lead Urko to find Burke was that upon leaving the home of that Human Family and Urko in response to another gorilla's query of how he knew they lied that you just always know that humans are lying.Then he said"I'll have to remember that."But upon being trapped underground when Burke tells Urko a story of how humans with a telephone could call average distances Urko didn't like hearing that and so Burke then changed it from real human history to fake ape history.He Saw The Zoo sign of The Gorilla in the cage but still hoped to distract Urko from seeing it but with no luck.When Virdon,Galen,and that other superior gorilla soldier and the other gorillas showed up right above and Virdon used Morse code tapping on the Beam to ask Urko's Wife's name and he said Ulda and then Burke relayed that message right after that when Urko was about to show Burke The Poster that he couldn't distract him from seeing he then Said "So I Lied."Then he said to him."Listen Urko I lied to you just to keep you from getting mad at me so that I could continue to help you to get out of here,you find out I'm lying and you still get mad at me.Now listen Urko because you didn't want to know the truth that my ancestors were a superior race to your ancestors who were an inferior race "Then Urko used his knife Burke planned it go straight into the socket of the solar powered lamp of , Then lo and behold it did and part of the agreement was fulfilled that not just that they'd be set free Burke was then pulled out after Urko but he also told how Urko needed help immediately and so after going unconscious but knowing then that he put his knife into the bulb of the solar lamp which when he was made almost all the way unconscious Then Burke got pulled out and Virdon said "You said you'd set us free."After Urko was being taken away on a rolling bed"Then that gorilla had said upon answer to one of the other soldiers "I'll take care of the execution and took them around the corner and shot his rifle 3 times and then said "No Bargains with humans but I gave my word,go before I change my mind."Then he looked at the Zoo Poster of the Gorilla in the cage and The children looking at him so then upon doing so he ripped it up.While Galen and Virdon had Burke resting upon their shoulders to hold him steady while he'd walk between them. As some's review put this as being the best episode I might put it instead as the 2nd best and The deception as The best of which if you check it out you may agree too for it being about the Lady ape who's blind and of which has sentimental value.4/13/2020 Just yesterday somewhere I noticed how someone pointed out in this trap episode a dog running through just like in the first episode in which a boy ape has a pet dog.As Said someone didn't do their homework but As I also had I pointed out before as they showed in a Pota comic by Malibu Graphics an explanation of a pack of Wolves that were picked up by a bubble and brought back after the plague.So for these dogs being another bread they were picked up and dropped off by another bubble.

Truly,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,Ma.USA

The ruins of the city. The arguments between Urko and Burke. The buried subway. A concrete rubble backlot. It's simply the best episode.

Virdon and Burke travel to the ruins of San Francisco in this episode where General Urko (Mark Leonard) and Burke are trapped in a BART subway tunnel and have to cooperate to survive.

The lighting alone on this episode shows how quickly and cheaply they were slapped together. Instead of creating a nice dark atmosphere with some interesting lighting in the Bart tunnel, it is well lit like the studio set it is.

The series is also pretty sloppy with its continuity. How can they be in San Francisco when the movies clearly indicated Dr. Zaius and General Urko were located near the ruins of New York? In the first pilot episode, Dr. Zaius made reference to the visit by the other "astronauts" so he is supposed to be the same Zaius. And in the next episode, "The Good Seeds", Burke states how he doesn't remember the last time they were in a city. Well, he must have a short memory, because they were in a city in an episode the week before--in fact, the SAME city if you pay attention to the sets.

It's hard to find something to like about these "Apes" shows. It's a series that really should not have been.