episode #59 - Nightmare in the Sky

episode #2 of 4th season / Air Date: 9/26/76
written by Jim Carlson, Terrence McDonnell Directed by Alan Crosland

Farrah-Fawcett returns for the 4th and final time to the show, this time reprising her first role in the series, that of a female astronaut/pilot from The Rescue of Athena One in the 1st season. This time, she's up in the air testing a new kind of airplane when she sees a World War 2 Japanese Zero flyer attacking her. This doesn't make any sense since such an ancient aircraft would be unable to keep pace with her modern airplane and radar detects nothing but her aircraft. Right afterward, her airplane disappears and she herself is found wandering in the desert 70 miles from the base. Yep, that's quite a mystery. And, it's up to Steve Austin to help her solve it; Austin and Oscar Goldman happened to be on the scene when the whole weird thing happened. Soon enuff, Austin and his lady friend are driving around the desert in a jeep looking for clues. Another apparition pops up to scare Farrah but then real bullets are sent their way...
As with many episodes involving a mystery, the first half is more intriguing. This one also uses the time-worn plot turn of an inside man or double agent; by this point, especially if one has seen many of the episodes recently, there is no surprise associated with such a story point. The action is pretty good, however, and it's more interesting to see Austin teamed up with someone like Farrah on an adventure rather than acting solo. Old-time character actors Dana Elcar and Donald Moffat (bearded as a corrupt scientist) also add to the proceedings as foes. There's some sci-fi tech involving lasers and holography - very 22nd century, I would say . BoG's Score: 6 out of 10