This episode can only be called disappointing at best.
The XL5 is sent to Planet Platonia, which is loaded with precious platinum. The leader of Platonia is named Bizann. He wants to open trade talks with the earth. A rival faction led by a mysterious figure named Ginerva wants war with earth instead and makes a number of unsuccessful attempts to kill Bizann, using Volvo, Bizan's trusted aid as assassin. Steve Zodiac's job is to get Bizan safely to earth for trade talks.
There's a lot of problems with this episode beginning with the fact it is padded out with a lot of purposeless shots of Robert guarding Fireball Jr. that does nothing but slow the pace of this episode to a crawl. Volvo (a way too obvious traitor) manages to disable Robert and sneak aboard Fireball Jr. Zodiac searches his craft for signs of a bomb but fails to make even a cursory look at Robert, where anyone can see has a bomb planted inside him.
Later Volvo ejects into deep space to escape the bomb blowing up Fireball in the hope that Ginerva will find him floating in space and rescue him. Instead Steve destroys Ginerva's ship (the model was also used in Planet 46)and sends the bomb into space at the last moment.
There's nothing really outstanding about this episode in terms of shots, story, character or bits of business (they even use the old "pour drink into plant which kills plant" bit--yes it was old even back then) other than seeing Steve once again break out in a sweat.
The XL5 is sent to Planet Platonia, which is loaded with precious platinum. The leader of Platonia is named Bizann. He wants to open trade talks with the earth. A rival faction led by a mysterious figure named Ginerva wants war with earth instead and makes a number of unsuccessful attempts to kill Bizann, using Volvo, Bizan's trusted aid as assassin. Steve Zodiac's job is to get Bizan safely to earth for trade talks.
There's a lot of problems with this episode beginning with the fact it is padded out with a lot of purposeless shots of Robert guarding Fireball Jr. that does nothing but slow the pace of this episode to a crawl. Volvo (a way too obvious traitor) manages to disable Robert and sneak aboard Fireball Jr. Zodiac searches his craft for signs of a bomb but fails to make even a cursory look at Robert, where anyone can see has a bomb planted inside him.
Later Volvo ejects into deep space to escape the bomb blowing up Fireball in the hope that Ginerva will find him floating in space and rescue him. Instead Steve destroys Ginerva's ship (the model was also used in Planet 46)and sends the bomb into space at the last moment.
There's nothing really outstanding about this episode in terms of shots, story, character or bits of business (they even use the old "pour drink into plant which kills plant" bit--yes it was old even back then) other than seeing Steve once again break out in a sweat.