Andromeda Episode 15: Forced Perspective

Captain Hunt is kidnapped and put on trial for something he did three hundred years ago.

Episode Summary

While on a routine mission in the Eureka Maru to get spare parts and supplies, Captain Hunt is kidnapped and taken to the planet Mobius, where he’s put on trial for something he did 300 years ago. They obviously don’t have a statute of limitations.

The Past

Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that Hunt was once assigned a mission to Mobius with his soon-to-be first officer Gaheris Rhade. Their objective: extradite Mobius’ ruthless dictator, who’s been picking fights with nearby planets and causing a whole lot of trouble.

On Mobius, Rhade and Hunt meet their informant/tour guide, a mousey guy named Venetri. Here we see Rhade and Hunt’s different ideals clash, with Rhade wanting to kill everyone in their path, and Hunt wanting no one to die.

Hunt doesn’t get his wish as he and Rhade must kill two guards to keep their secrecy. They also end up killing the Mobius dictator as well, but in self defense. All these deaths shock and anger Venetri who, like Hunt, wanted a bloodless extradition.

At the end of the mission, Hunt is promoted to captain and assigned Andromeda as his command, with Rhade as his first officer.

The Present

Hunt learns that Venetri is still alive, having survived three centuries by cloning spare body parts for himself. He’s still angry with Hunt for killing the guards/dictator on his mission and wants retribution.

Trance finds Hunt and breaks him out of her cell. We learn that she has a special ability – she can see possible futures. They go confront Venetri in his office and tell him not to be an asshole and he says okay.

The B-Plot

Meanwhile, on Andromeda, Tyr and Beka hang out and have dinner.

Thoughts

We get a sort of origin story in this episode, showing how Hunt earned command of Andromeda. The premise was promising, with Hunt having to deal with something he did 300 years ago and facing the long-term results of his actions. I also like the suggestion that the Commonwealth that Hunt holds in such high regard isn’t quite as morally perfect as we’re led to believe, given they were just fine with the death of the Mobius dictator.

However, the episode’s execution was off and felt overly preachy and heavy-handed. I also felt it was resolved way too easily.

We finally learn more about Trance, that she has the ability to see possible futures, explaining how she had knowledge of where to find Hunt in the prison episode. Hopefully that isn’t Trance’s only secret, otherwise it’s such an underwhelming payoff of all the mysterious aspects of her character that have been set up so far.

The B-plot felt really out of place and only existed to give Tyr and Beka something to do. It was silly, but come to think of it, I actually wouldn’t mind more “slice of life on Andromeda” scenes like this in the show.